The Road Back To You
by SteelCityMagnolia
Summary: Five years after a messy breakup, Sydney has returned to Dallas to find Gage still nursing old grudges and a broken heart, while she has her own demons to overcome. Will they let their heartaches and a revealed secret destroy their love for each other forever, or will they be able to put the past behind them and start over again? ** CHAPTER 14 ADDED, STORY COMPLETE**
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own any of the Walker, Texas Ranger characters in this story, nor is any ownership implied. Just taking them out to play, or for some of them in the case of this story, a pretty rough romp in the mud.**_ _**Also, I do not claim ownership of the lyrics to "Everywhere." Those belong to Tim McGraw. I just love the song and borrowed a few lyrics for a moment as they were the inspiration for this story.**_

Gage drove the orange Chevelle down the dusty road toward the Walkers' ranch. Walker and Alex had invited him, Trivette and Erika and their newborn twins, and a few other friends over for a cookout. Normally, Gage loved these get-togethers on warm, sunny Texas afternoons, but he had a bad feeling about this one. He just knew Alex was back up to her match-making ways and he was not in the mood for it today. He knew she meant well – she always did – but Gage still wasn't ready to meet anyone yet. It was just too hard, too much for his heart to take.

 _You're just chickenshit._

That voice was back. The voice that hid in the depths of his mind and only came out to play and taunt and torment and then say it was trying to be helpful. Call it his conscience, the voice of reason, or the devil's advocate, it always seemed to surface and point out the truth, usually at a time when Gage least wanted to hear it. If he was brutally honest with himself – which he tried not to be these days – the voice sounded an awful lot like her, which only irritated him further. He wasn't in the mood for The Dating Game today and he certainly wasn't in the mood for hearing voices like a crazy person.

 _How difficult would it be to just go out on one date? Really, now._

Gage turned up the radio to drown out the voice. Tom Petty faded out; the deejay talked a bit about an upcoming concert and played back a call with someone who had won tickets in a phone contest. After a couple commercials from a local car dealership and a furniture store having a going out of business sale, Gage got annoyed and changed the station, fiddling with the radio dial until he tuned in a country station. He turned up the volume to hear Tim McGraw singing,

 _But ever since you said good bye  
I've been out here on the wind  
And baby you would be surprised  
All the places you have been  
I've seen you in_

 _Albuquerque  
Waitin' out a blizzard  
Arizona  
Dancin' 'cross the desert  
Watchin' the sun set in Monterey  
Girl I swear just the other day you were  
Down in Georgia  
Pickin' them peaches  
In Carolina  
Barefoot on the beaches  
No matter where you choose to be  
In my heart I'll always see you_

 _Everywhere_

"Damn it," Gage growled to nobody in particular. He shut the radio off. Truth was, he did still see her everywhere. He imagined seeing her walking in the door at work or turning the corner around a building walking down a street. Sitting at a table at CD's. No matter where he went, he always thought he caught a glimpse of her somewhere. Some days it was comforting, like she'd never left. Other days, it was maddening. All he knew was that he missed her so much that his soul hurt. It had been five years, five years to the day, actually, since she left. Five years since the worst day of his life. No wonder he had such a bad feeling about today. And Tim McGraw, with his perfect life and his perfect wife had to go and sing a song to remind him of it. "Fuck you, McGraw," Gage thought, slamming his hand against the steering wheel as he fought back the tears. Five years ago his life could have been perfect, too, had it not been for stubborn pride and a stubborn woman.

* * *

"I think that's everything," Alex said as she dried her hands on a dish towel. "Now we can get to the good stuff." She took two wine glasses out of the cupboard and motioned toward the refrigerator.

"There's a couple bottles in there, pick what you think looks good."

Sydney Cooke-Weatherton chose a bottle and opened it with the corkscrew her friend offered her. She poured a glass for each of them and joined Alex at the kitchen table.

"So, do you think he'll be here?" Sydney asked nervously.

"He said he was coming," Alex replied, taking a sip of wine.

"Alone? Or with someone?" Sydney could feel her stomach tying itself in knots. Five years, she thought. So much had happened in those five years. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to relive all those moments, but she was going to have to at least look at the highlight reel at some point.

"Alone as far as I know. He isn't dating anyone, at least nobody he's told Walker or me about."

Sydney didn't know if that made her feel relieved or not. Facing Gage after all this time was going to be tough either way. Better to get it over with today, especially since she had moved back to Dallas.

"So, fill me in on everything I missed. Jimmy and Erika have twins? I can't wait to see them! And Angela has grown up so much, I can't believe it," Sydney gushed, hoping to find out more about what Gage had been up to since she'd left.

"Well, Jimmy and Erika should be here any second. Their babies are adorable! Jamie and Jade. Oh my goodness, Sydney, you can't imagine how precious they are! Angela just loves Pre-K, and she's just a little social butterfly –"

"Just like her mama! What's happening at Ranger Headquarters? I heard Walker is up for Captain Briscoe's job?" Sydney ran a finger around the rim of her wine glass, trying to act and sound casual.

"Yes, he is. Captain Briscoe is retiring in about a month and Walker is on the short list for his job. Bobbie Hunt, did you know her? She'll be here later after her daughter's softball game. She took your spot when you left, but she wants to transfer to Lubbock. She has family there and it'll be easier with her daughter."

Alex continued on, but Sydney didn't hear anything. All she heard was that Company B was about to have an opening and she needed a job.

* * *

Gage didn't recognize the blue Jeep Wrangler parked in front of Walker and Alex's house. He parked next to it and got out, calling out a hello to Walker who was tending the grill. Walker waved him over.

"Glad you could make it, Gage. I made sure to have some extra burgers on hand for you." Gage was famous for two things, his inability to be on time for anything and his love of food.

"Thanks, Walker. Those burgers do look good. Hey, whose Jeep is that?"

A sheepish grin crossed Walker's lips. Gage rubbed his forehead, feeling the headache start already. "Damn! She did it again, didn't she? Damn it, Walker. I told her I don't want fixed up with anyone. Will you please explain to your wife I am perfectly happy being single?"

"Easy, Gage. You know Alex means well, and you know it makes her happy to try to fix people up."

"Well, it doesn't make me happy," Gage huffed.

"I'll talk to her. But just try to relax and enjoy the day, okay?" Walker asked, handing the blond ranger a beer from the nearby cooler.

"I guess." Gage looked sullen as he twisted the top off the bottle of Lone Star and took a long swig. "Alex in the kitchen? I should at least go stick my head in the door and say hello."

Gage was almost to the porch steps when Alex stepped out onto the front porch, a basket of hamburger buns in her hand. As she welcomed Gage with a warm hello and hug, Angela darted out the door behind her, running up to Gage and throwing her arms around his waist in a miniaturized bear-hug. Gage bent to scoop her up in one arm.

"Uncle Gage! You're here! Mama has a surprise for you!"

"She does, huh?" Gage glared at Alex.

"Yes, I do," Alex replied with a smile. "I baked your favorite chocolate cake! Connie Jensen gave me the recipe since she couldn't make it today. In fact, I baked two. One for dessert and one for you to take home."

"Well, that's some surprise, don't you think, Squirt?" Gage kissed Angela on the forehead and set her back down on the porch.

"But Uncle Gage, that's not –"

"Angela, why don't you take these buns over to Daddy so he can toast them," Alex handed Angela the basket of hamburger buns and sent the overall-clad blond child on her way.

"So, who is she, Alex?" Gage asked pointedly, swallowing the last of his beer.

"Gage –"

"Whoever's driving the Jeep. Who are you trying to fix me up with this time, even though I've told you not to?"

"Gage, honestly, I didn't plan this. But I couldn't exactly say no."

"Say no to what? What are you talking about?"

At that moment, the screen door creaked open behind Alex.

"I think she's talking about me."

* * *

Sydney stepped out onto the porch. Five years later and she still looked the same as the day she left. Well, almost the same. She'd done something different with her hair, but she was still the same beautiful Sydney that had left him five years ago, pissed-off and with his heart in a million pieces. Gage felt his heart rise into his throat and his chest constrict. The empty beer bottle in his hand fell to the porch floor with a dull thud, but he made no move to retrieve it.

 _Holy shit. You weren't expecting that, now, were you?_

"I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do," Alex said, bending to pick up the bottle as she turned to walk back into the house. "'I'll just start putting the food out."

Gage barely heard her. He barely knew where he was, for that matter. All he knew was that the completely familiar, yet somehow total stranger in front of him in that gauzy black dress, denim jacket, and turquoise blue cowboy boots was his former partner and he didn't know whether he should slap her or embrace her.

"Hey," Sydney said shyly after what felt like an eternity. "Since when have you ever been so quiet?"

"Probably since you got the hell out of Dodge about five years ago," Gage fought to look away. The longer he looked at her the more he felt those old feelings begin to stir and he wasn't about to let his heart go again. "Just what the hell brings you back to this side of Texas?"

"That's a long, complicated story," Sydney replied wistfully, toying with the silver bracelets around her wrist.

"Well, when are you leaving this time?" Gage growled

"I'm not. I'm back to stay."

Gage felt his temples begin to throb. He needed another beer. "Really, now. How nice. I suppose Mr. Wonderful is here, too?"

Sydney flinched. She hadn't expected Gage to roll out the red carpet for her, but she didn't expect him to be so cold. "I told you, it's complicated."

"I don't get what the hell is so complicated about happily ever after and 'til death do us part and all that happy crap," Gage snarled.

"Gage – " Sydney began. A silver SUV pulled in behind Gage's Chevelle, sounding the horn. Trivette stepped out from the driver's side.

"Sydney Cooke! I don't believe it!" Trivette called across the yard.

Sydney waved and bounced down the porch steps past Gage to greet her former co-worker with a hug. Their happy voices and laughter pierced at Gage's temples and made his headache even worse. He stepped off the porch and went to look for that cooler of beer, Sydney's voice ringing across the yard as she and Trivette caught up.

"Since when do you drive a mom-mobile?" Sydney laughed.

"This is Erika's," Trivette said of the full-size SUV. "I still have my Mustang, but it won't fit two car seats and all the baby gear."

"I heard you have twins now, that has to be an adventure!"

Erika rounded the front of the SUV toting a baby carrier, a large diaper bag slung over her shoulder. At the sight of each other, she and Sydney both squealed delightedly. In the carrier, the tiny baby woke with a cry.

"Well, so much for a happy, sleeping baby girl!" Erika laughed. "Jimmy, do you want to get Jamie out of the back?"

Sydney rushed over to greet her friend with a hug and to fuss over the tiny baby girl in the carrier seat. "Oh my goodness, Erika, she's gorgeous!"

"Gorgeous? Look at you!" Erika gushed. "Your hair! It's amazing!" Sydney twirled around so Erika could see the full effect. Sydney had cut her long dark hair into a chin-length bob and added wispy bangs.

"You look beautiful," Erika smiled approvingly at her friend and hugged her warmly. "I have missed you so much!"

"And I've missed you, too! I can't believe I didn't know about the twins. I have missed so much around here." Sydney cooed over the baby boy in the carrier Trivette brought from the SUV. "You would never know you had twins – you look stunning," she hugged Erika again, "motherhood definitely agrees with you."

"Yeah, it agrees with everything but my sleep schedule," Trivette quipped. "I haven't had a full night's sleep since they arrived. I've been told I won't have a full night's sleep until they leave home, either. But you know what? We wouldn't trade a single second of it." He wrapped an arm around Erika's shoulders and kissed her cheek. Sydney smiled warmly at her friends. It was good to see them so happy.

Gage watched the scene from across the yard as he downed another beer. The pain in his head was slowly starting to ease up. Walker joined him and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Gage. I should have told you she was here, but Alex was so sure you'd be happy to see her and she wanted it to be a surprise. I guess that old wound just never healed, did it?"

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you try to put a Band-Aid over a bullet hole, I guess," Gage finished off the beer. "She's acting like nothing ever happened."

"Or maybe she's just trying to make the best of the situation. Coming back here probably wasn't easy," Walker reasoned.

"Could've fooled me and everyone else," Gage growled. "Those burgers done yet?"

* * *

Later in the evening, after Jimmy and Erika had left to get their babies to bed and the rest of the guests had slowly drifted home, Alex and Sydney were cleaning up in the kitchen and Walker excused himself to go to the barn to feed the horses. Gage grabbed another beer from the cooler and walked along the white board fence lining the pasture. He stopped and leaned against the fence, tilted the longneck to his lips and watched the fading sunset tip the pasture grass with shades of gold and orange.

Why'd she come back, he wondered to himself. He spent the afternoon trying to avoid her. Every now and then, she caught him looking at her and she'd smile. As much as he hated to admit it, that smile still melted him inside. She was still so beautiful. She seemed happy on the outside; laughing and talking with everyone, but even after five years he knew his partner - his ex-partner – and he could tell something wasn't right. She wasn't wearing her wedding ring, or that ridiculously huge piece of ice she called an engagement ring, either. Gage wondered what the story was behind that. He also noticed that she seemed to go out of the way to avoid holding Trivette and Erika's babies. That struck him as really strange. When Walker and Alex brought Angela home, he had to all but pry that baby out of Syd's arms; and any time they did anything for the HOPE Center, it was pretty much a guarantee that Syd would be running around with a baby on her hip, fussing and cooing and playing with the little ones like they were her own. Today, though, he didn't see her once holding either of those twin babies or even fussing much over them and that was not the Sydney he knew. Something was definitely wrong.

 _You could just ask her and get it over with._

He could ask her, but he had no intention of going there. Not today. Not yet, if ever. Asking would mean caring, and caring upped the likelihood of getting his heart ripped out again. If she wanted him to know what she was doing back in Dallas, she'd tell him, if he gave her the chance, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to do that. Just like he and Walker talked about, when you put a Band-Aid on a bullet hole, it doesn't take much for the old wound to open up again.

"Hey."

The voice behind him pulled Gage from his thoughts and he jumped. He turned to find Sydney standing behind him.

"Mind if I join you?" she held up two bottles of beer.

"I'm not planning on being a brilliant conversationalist, but suit yourself." Gage finished off the beer in his hand and took the one Sydney offered him, twisting off the top and taking a long drink.

"Gage, I'm sorry. I should have called to tell you I was coming back to Dallas."

"Why? It wouldn't have made any difference." Gage refused to look at her. When Sydney placed her hand on his arm, he jerked away.

"I wish you'd listen to me, let me explain," Sydney said, almost pleading.

"Yeah, well, I wish you'd understand my side of this, too," Gage's voice rose in frustration. How could she not understand what she did to him when she left him five years ago? Finally, when he turned to look at her, the coldness in his eyes shocked Sydney. In all the time she'd known Gage, she'd never seen him look that way.

"Okay, I'm listening," she spoke softly. "Help me to understand. I want to understand."

Jesus. Why did she always have to do that? Saint damned Sydney, Gage thought. He wanted her to understand the hell she put him through, but he still wanted to wallow in his pain. The pain that had been his constant companion for the five years she was gone. The pain that had become his defense against the world. The pain that had helped him to rebuild what was left of his shattered heart and wrap it in razor wire to keep anyone else from getting as close as he'd let Sydney get to him.

 _Oh, you mean the pain you married when she left?_

"It was five years ago today that you left, Syd. That was the worst damned day of my life. I don't know what was harder to take – your deciding we were over or your deciding you didn't even want to be partners with me at work anymore. You weren't even willing to let me try. What was it, Syd, wasn't I worth trying for? Weren't we worth trying for? All I wanted was some time. Just some goddamn time to wrap my head around everything and try to figure out how to fix things with us and I wasn't even worth that to you. Do you understand how that made me feel? You couldn't even tell me goodbye in person. All I got was your damn note. I loved you Syd. I loved you so much and you ripped my fucking heart out when you left."

Gage saw Sydney flinch and inch backwards away from him. He had hurt her. Good. He wanted her to hurt as badly as she had hurt him.

"Gage, you couldn't even meet me halfway. There was no middle ground with you," Sydney countered.

"Why was I the one that had to meet you halfway? Why couldn't you meet me?" The pounding in Gage's head was back. He was going to need something stronger than Lone Star if she was going to insist on hashing this out tonight.

"Because you weren't the one who was being asked to give up your whole career." Sydney fired back, her dark eyes flashing in fury. "You know, Gage, you weren't the only one whose heart was broken. You were the one who decided we needed time apart. Not me."

"Yeah? If you were so heartbroken, why'd you move on to Mr. Wonderful so fast? You practically ran down that aisle. Nobody saw me getting married. And speaking of careers, where's your career now?" Gage's voice was full of venom. "Was it Mr. Wonderful's money or good looks that made giving up your career so easy? And what about your kid? Is Mr. Wonderful home playing Mr. Mom while you're moving back to Dallas?"

 _BOOM. Let her explain that one._

Gage saw the rage building in Sydney's dark eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Sydney looked down at the beer bottle in her hand and, in a moment that surprised them both, threw it at Gage's head. He ducked, but felt the wind from it as it sailed by his ear. Five years certainly hadn't dulled her fire, that was for sure. She turned on her heel and started away, but turned back to him. Grabbing hold of Gage's shirt, she pulled him down to her level so they were eye to eye.

"You have no idea, Francis Gage. No idea. And you're a mean, rotten drunk."

Shoving him away, Sydney turned and stormed off.

 _Well, damn, son. I'd say she's a bit pissed._


	2. Chapter 2

Alex wouldn't let Gage drive home. She offered him the guest room, a hot shower, and plenty of aspirin, along with endless apologies for not letting him know ahead of time that Sydney had come back. Gage wanted to be mad at her, but couldn't. He knew Alex was only trying to be kind and helpful, and he knew how much she cared for him and Sydney both. All she wanted was for both of them to be happy. She just didn't know that they couldn't be happy together, at least not anymore.

Gage made himself as comfortable as he could on the guest room bed, rubbing at the throbbing pain that had now extended beyond his temples to behind his eyes. He closed his eyes and thought back to all those events five years ago.

Dan Jensen and the Harpers were gone, killed by Lavocat and the gang he'd sprung from jail. Trivette was lucky – they'd tried to kill him, too, but he survived. They found out Lavocat was behind CD's death. Trivette and Erika were getting married, and baby Angela was born. It was on the way home from the Walkers' ranch when they'd brought Angela home for everyone to meet that Gage and Sydney had a long talk.

They'd pulled over in a field along the dusty road to look at the stars. Syd was curled up on the seat, leaning over with her head on Gage's shoulder.

"Today was a good day," she sighed contentedly. "We needed this."

"Yes, we did," Gage replied, absentmindedly playing with Sydney's long, silky hair.

"It felt good to be surrounded by so much love and such good friends," Sydney stifled a yawn.

"Come here, sleepy girl," Gage pulled Sydney onto his lap and into a long, deep kiss. Breaking the kiss, he spoke, "Walker and Alex have the perfect life. Jimmy and Erika are well on their way. I want that kind of life, too. Somebody who shares my heart and my dreams, a house full of love and little kids running around…"

"Sounds wonderful," Sydney teased a couple of kisses along Gage's jaw and ear. "Anyone in mind?"

"You, of course, Shorty," Gage returned Sydney's teasing kisses with a few of his own. "Maybe this is something we need to start thinking of a little more seriously."

Headlights appeared on the road ahead of them and they collected themselves and started driving back to Sydney's house. That's when the discussion they were having about their future together took an ugly turn, Gage recalled.

"Well, it's great that you want a house full of babies, and I do, too, but I also want my career. I worked way too hard to get where I am, and honestly, Gage, I love my job."

"You love your job because you work with me," Gage teased.

"Can we take that out of the equation for a moment? I'm being serious here." Sydney turned sideways in the seat so Gage could see her face if he turned his head her direction. "I am not giving up my career to stay home and be a full-time baby factory."

"Syd, you're going to have to look at this a bit more reasonably. Our jobs are too dangerous for you to keep working and be a mom. I wouldn't want you to."

"I would take time off while I was pregnant and for maternity leave, but after that, I'd want to go back to work. I can't give up my career, Gage. I worked way too hard for it. Why should I give it up? Alex isn't giving up her job. Bobbie Hunt is a mom and a full-time ranger."

"Bobbie's situation is different, and Alex doesn't usually find herself in high-speed car chases or physical altercations or have people shooting at her," Gage reasoned.

"But Bobbie is still a mom and a ranger. And Alex has been in plenty of sticky situations," Sydney countered.

"Yeah, situations that I am willing to bet Walker didn't want her to be in. Look, Syd. I just don't want my kids being raised in day care while you're running around in potentially dangerous situations. Babies need their mothers. I need you. I know you love your job, but can't you imagine loving our babies more?"

"Of course I'm going to love our babies. That's just ridiculous that you'd say that. That's why I need to keep working. What if something happens to you, Gage? I'm going to need to be able to take care of them. I'm going to need to have my career to provide for them."

"What do you mean, Syd, 'if something happens to me?' Where do you think I'm going?" Gage looked over at her and shook his head incredulously.

"Oh, come on, Gage! What about the dangerous situations you'll be in?" Sydney pressed.

"That's different," Gage regretted the words as soon as he said them. Well, they were out there; there was no taking them back.

 _You just had to go there, didn't you?_

"Oh, so we're back to this, are we?" Sydney spat. "Back to the old 'rangering isn't women's work' argument. I'm done. Done talking to you about this, Gage." Sydney turned around in the seat and slid as far away from Gage as she could. She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead, silent.

"Syd. Syd, I didn't mean… Syd, look, let's not fight about this. Come on." Gage pleaded.

"This is important, Gage. Too important. We have to come to an agreement on it before we even think of getting married or having kids."

They dragged the argument out for two more weeks. They were at an impasse. Gage had hoped that maybe they could put it behind them and even suggested that they take the topic off the table and worry about it when the time came, but Sydney would have none of it. Things grew more and more tense between them and in an effort to make peace, Gage apologized and suggested maybe they needed some time apart to cool off and get their heads together over things. He was tired of fighting and really just wanted to think things through on his own. After a few days of absolute silence between them, Gage saw Sydney pull a job notice off the bulletin board at work.

"What's that?" Gage asked, motioning to the paper that Sydney quickly folded and shoved in her pocket.

"What's what?"

"That paper you just yanked off the board."

"It's nothing. Just something I was getting for a friend."

"Which friend? Those are postings for ranger positions," Gage questioned.

"It's nothing, Gage." Sydney said in a voice that let him know that the subject was not open for discussion.

Two weeks later, Walker announced that Sydney was transferring to El Paso and taking a position as a forensic investigator and that Bobbie Hunt would be taking her place with Company B at least temporarily while things got sorted out. A For Rent sign went up in front of Sydney's house and a couple of boxes turned up in the hallway in front of Gage's apartment one morning. He was running late and almost tripped and fell head first over them on his way out the door for work. They were full of things he'd kept at Sydney's house: some of his clothes as well as shirts she'd borrowed from him, DVD's, CD's, one of his favorite coffee mugs, his toothbrush. Taped to the top of one of the boxes was a note written in Sydney's smooth, loopy handwriting.

 _I hope 650 miles is apart enough for you - Syd_

Gage spent all morning trying to reach Sydney on her cell phone with no luck. He called and called until the battery on his cell phone died and then he borrowed Trivette's phone and called until his battery ran out. Every time he reached Sydney's voicemail, now with a message stating that her mailbox was full, he felt his heart break even more. That was the first night he went to CD's after work instead of going home. It wasn't his proudest moment. He had gotten sloppy drunk and Marta had to all but wrestle the keys out of his hand at closing time. She called Walker to drive him home. As if that wasn't bad enough, he had been so sick that he threw up in Walker's new truck.

 _Well, now. There's a smart career move. Getting shitfaced and puking in your boss's new truck. Nice._

Walker took his keys and told him that he was driving the Chevelle until Gage got Walker's brand new Dodge back in showroom condition. Oh, and he had to be at work first thing the next morning, hangover or not.

Sometimes Walker could be a real hardass about things.

* * *

The pounding in Gage's head was still there. He sat up on the guest room bed and fumbled for the light, which he immediately shut off when he realized how much worse it made his head feel. He felt around on the nightstand for the bottle of aspirin Alex had left him. Shaking another two pills out of the bottle, he swallowed them dry and rubbed at the stiff muscles at the back of his neck. What he wouldn't give for one of Syd's amazing back rubs right now.

"Stop that," he ordered himself.

 _No, go on. Please. If we're going to take this drive down memory lane, we may as well jam it into fourth gear, stick it to the floor and scream right past that 'dead end' sign. Want to bet on what's ahead? A brick wall? How about a cliff? What do you think?_

He lay back down on the bed and tried to get himself into a comfortable position where his head and back didn't hurt. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to overtake him, but all he could think of was Sydney and the last five years he spent missing her, hoping she'd come back, and thinking he never wanted to see her again. He had been relieved when Trivette and Erika decided to elope. No big, fancy wedding meant no chance of Sydney coming back and no chance of having to see her.

Then it happened. The one thing worse than Sydney's leaving and the worst thing Gage could have ever imagined, if he would have even imagined it in the first place.

Gage and Alex were leaving the courthouse. He was the last witness to testify on a case that Alex was trying and it had just gone to the jury that morning. A gaggle of reporters were waiting outside on the steps to ask questions.

"I'm sorry, until the jury comes back with a verdict, I can't comment." Alex, ever calm and cool under pressure, waved away the microphones and cameras that were thrust into her face.

The reporters were relentless, however, and continued to shout questions as Alex and Gage tried to make their way through the crowd. In all the pushing and shoving as the reporters tried to jockey for position to ask questions about the case and what Alex thought the verdict might be, somebody knocked her briefcase out of her hand. It fell open, spilling files on the courthouse's marble steps. Gage rushed to help Alex gather up the important papers.

One small postcard drifted a few feet away. A woman picked it up and handed it to Gage. "I think she dropped this, too," she said, as she pushed her way through the crowd of reporters.

Gage thanked the woman and turned the postcard over to look at it, suddenly feeling his heart sink like a rock to the bottom of the darkest depths of the ocean.

The other side of the postcard revealed a picture of a radiant, smiling Sydney in the arms of a dark haired, smiling man. It looked like they were on a balcony overlooking the desert somewhere at sunset. Maybe New Mexico, maybe Arizona. It didn't matter where it was, what caught Gage's attention was the enormous diamond ring on Sydney's left hand and the words printed on the card: 'We wouldn't want you to miss our special day, so please save the date! Sydney Cooke and Scott Weatherton.' The date and more details followed, but Gage couldn't focus. It was all he could do to breathe.

Sydney was getting married.

Sydney was getting married and not to him.

 _Never saw that one coming, did you?_

Gage was vaguely aware of Alex talking to him, "I think I got all my files. Everything's a mess, but I'll try to put everything back in order at lunch. Do you want to go to CD's and grab a sandwich while we wait for the verdict to come back?"

Gage couldn't answer. He just handed Alex the postcard. Alex took it and then realized what it was and what had just happened. She wrapped an arm around the tall ranger's broad shoulders and felt him trembling.

"Oh Gage, I am so sorry. I really meant to tell you, but I just didn't know how. I am so, so sorry."

Gage didn't respond. He just shrugged Alex's arm from his shoulders and turned and disappeared into the crowd of people gathered on the courthouse steps.

"Gage! Gage, wait!" Alex ran after him. She finally caught up with him before he rounded the corner to the street entrance to the parking garage.

"Gage, can we talk, please?" Alex pleaded.

Gage turned to her, running his hands through his blond hair. The look on his face was enough to bring tears to Alex's eyes. Looking at him, she just knew that she was looking at a man whose heart was breaking all over again.

"Why?" was all he could answer, but he walked over to a bench between the entrance to the parking garage and the courthouse and sat down. Alex sat next to him and took his hands in hers. She told him as gently as she could about how Sydney had met Scott, an emergency room doctor and well-known trauma surgeon, through friends she'd made in El Paso. How Alex had talked to him a few times on the phone and that he seemed nice and seemed to treat Sydney very well, and how sorry she was that it wasn't Gage that Sydney was marrying because she'd always hoped they would end up together.

When she finished, they both had tears in their eyes. "I'm so sorry, Gage. " Alex apologized again. "I wish I knew how to make this easier on you."

"Don't worry about it," Gage said, as he stood to leave, his voice barely above a whisper. "She made her decision. I don't necessarily like it, but I have to accept it and move on. And that's it. It's not your fault, Alex." He bent to give his friend a hug. "You're a good friend. Thank you, Alex."

 _Nice try. Way to move on. You sure mastered that move._

He went to CD's again that night. This time, he handed Marta his keys as soon as he sat down. When he switched from longnecks to whiskey, she called Walker. About half an hour later, Trivette showed up.

"Hey, Marta," Trivette greeted her as he walked up to the bar. "Angela's sick and Walker's giving Alex a break with her, so he sent me. What's going on?" Marta pointed down the bar to Gage. He was sitting with his head in his hands, a glass of whiskey in front of him.

"He's been here all night. He gave me his keys when he came in, so he was planning on doing some serious drinking," Marta replied somberly. "Poor baby is a mess."

Trivette looked down the bar at his friend. Alex had told him and Walker what had happened on the courthouse steps and how Gage had found out that Sydney was getting married. He was pretty sure that had he been put in the same situation, he would be sitting exactly where Gage was sitting right now, probably in the exact same condition.

"I'll talk to him, Marta, and I'll make sure he gets home."

Trivette took a seat at the bar next to Gage. "Hey, man. How about you let me drive you home?"

Gage was silent.

"Gage? Gage, I'm not even going to ask if you're okay. Alex told me what happened, and I know it has to suck. But how about we get out of here, okay?"

Gage looked up at his friend with bloodshot eyes. "I wanted to marry her, Jimmy. I was going to marry her. That was the plan. And then she left. And now she's marrying somebody else. "

 _Not just somebody else. A doctor. How's that for a kick in the head?_

"I know," Trivette replied sympathetically. "I know, and it sucks. But getting wasted isn't going to change things." He helped steady Gage as he got up from the bar stool. "Come on, man. Let's get you home. It's just a save the date card. Who knows? They could break up before the wedding."

But they didn't break up, and that fall, Alex and Walker and Jimmy and Erika made the trip to El Paso for Sydney's wedding. Gage hadn't expected to be invited, but he was still hurt that he wasn't.

 _Really? Did you really think you'd go to Sydney's wedding?_

There was no way in hell he would have actually gone, but he and Sydney were partners for years. Partners. Friends. Best friends. More than best friends. That should have counted for at least a postage stamp on a damned invitation. That should have counted for the chance for him to check off the little box saying 'Sorry I can't attend.' He spent that weekend at home, settling in for a Saturday night of UFC Fight Night, pizza, and Jack Daniel's; his only contact with the outside world being the pizza delivery guy who eyed him suspiciously when he brought his pizza.

 _Either you looked pretty sorry or he thought you were cute, which one do you think it is?_

He woke up on the couch that next morning feeling like he had gone a few rounds on Fight Night himself. His mouth felt like he could spit cotton, and the TV was playing an infomercial for some kind of new diet program. Gage stood up and the pain in his head nearly knocked him over. He sat back down on the couch, waited until the throbbing pain eased up, and decided that some hair of the dog would fix him up. He made coffee, spiked it with some of the remaining Jack Daniel's and paired it with cold pizza and the reminder that Sydney was somewhere on her way to her honeymoon.

 _Talk about your breakfast of champions._

* * *

With sleep eluding him, Gage got up and paced the room. The walls were decorated with a couple of Angela's baby pictures and that brought back even more memories from the last five years as well as the pain in his head that now felt like cannonballs exploding. He lowered himself into the chair by the window and rubbed his temples, and thought back to that day in Alex's office.

He had gone to Alex's office to see what she could do about a deal for Sammy Wallace. He and Bobbie had brought Sammy in as part of an investigation on a counterfeiting ring. Sammy wasn't the one they were after, but he had the information they wanted and he was guilty of several parole violations that could send him back to jail for quite a long time. So far, Sammy wasn't talking, and Gage had hoped that they could work something out that would get him to spill on the counterfeiting ring in exchange for just a couple years in minimum security. Otherwise, the hell with him, Gage thought. Send him to Huntsville just for making his life complicated.

Gage found Alex in her office folding up baby clothes and packing them into a box with some baby toys.

"Hey, Alex. Wow, looks like congratulations are in order! Walker didn't tell me you were expecting again."

"Oh, no," Alex laughed, "these aren't for me. I'm putting together a little surprise package for a friend of mine. She just found out she's expecting her first and I wanted to send her just a few things to help her get started in planning her nursery. I can't help it. I'm just so excited for her!"

"That's really nice of you. Hey, the reason I'm here, Bobbie and I brought Sammy Wallace in."

"Sammy Wallace." Alex pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Oh, yes, I remember that name. Gambling, illegal alcohol sales, possession with intent to distribute, running a prostitution ring, he's pretty much a jack of all trades, isn't he?"

"That's our boy. Bobbie and I brought him in today on that counterfeiting case and he's not talking. We were wondering if maybe you could offer up a little incent –" Gage was interrupted by the ringing of Alex's telephone.

"Just a second, Gage." Alex picked up the phone. "Alex Cahill-Walker. Oh. Oh, sure. I didn't realize he was coming to pick those up today. I'll bring them right down." Alex hung up the phone and turned to Gage as she picked up a large brown expanding file from the corner of her desk. "I'm so sorry, Gage. A courier is here to pick these files up and I have to run them down the hall to him. I will be right back."

With Alex out of the office, and that box of baby clothes and toys just feet away from him, Gage's curiosity got the better of him. Who was the friend Alex was sending all the baby stuff to?

 _You already know the answer to that question._

Gage stood up and took one step forward to look into the box. Inside were neatly folded baby clothes, some blankets and tiny towels in soft pastel shades, all neutral colors, so she hadn't found out if it was a boy or a girl yet. There were some little toys, rattles, pacifiers and a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting," all the usual things he'd expect to find in a care package for a mom-to-be. And there was a card, right on top, with Sydney's name neatly written on the envelope.

Damn it.

 _I told you so_.

Gage could feel his heart pounding in his ears as he sat back down. He was the one that was supposed to make babies with Sydney. Visions flipped through his mind like a slideshow: Sydney seeing the first images of the baby on a sonogram. Sydney with a pregnant belly. Sydney feeling the baby kick for the first time. Sydney holding a newborn in her arms. It wasn't supposed to happen with anyone else, Gage thought to himself angrily. It was supposed to happen with him. They had talked about it.

 _Yeah, you talked about it, alright. Need I remind you how you got yourself into this mess?_

Gage needed to get out of there. He got up to leave, almost colliding with Alex in the doorway.

"Gage, didn't you need something?" Alex asked, puzzled at Gage's sudden departure.

"It can wait. I need to get back downstairs." And Gage was gone, out the door and down the stairs. He took the steps down to the ranger gym, hoping nobody else would be there. He was in luck, he had the room to himself. He went to the locker room and splashed cold water on his face at one of the sinks. Leaning against the cold tile wall, he took a couple of slow, deep breaths and tried to will away the throbbing pain in his head. He thought back to that night after leaving Walker and Alex's house and the argument he and Sydney had gotten into. The argument that had led to this. If he had only known then what he knew now, he would have handled things so differently.

 _What's that old saying about hindsight? Someone sure hit that nail on the head._

Gage's thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the display. Bobbie. Great. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Little Miss Happy Ranger right now.

"Yeah, Bobbie."

"Where'd you disappear to, Houdini? Walker needs us."

"What's up?"

"Sammy Wallace just talked. Walker's getting a warrant right now. We've got a counterfeiting ring to bust." Bobbie sounded almost gleeful. Gage was beginning to think she got some serious kicks out of taking down bad guys.

"I'll be there in a minute."

Well, at least it was something to take his mind off of everything else for a little while, at least until the day was over and he could go sit at CD's and drown the visions that kept flashing through his mind. He splashed some more cold water on his face and searched his locker for some aspirin before heading back upstairs to meet Bobbie and Walker to go ruin the day for some counterfeiting fools.

* * *

Gage's thoughts finally quieted and let him sleep. He woke up in the chair in Alex and Walker's guest room, feeling stiff and sore. The headache had finally let up, he noticed, thankfully, as the bright light of sunrise on the ranch didn't chase him into hiding.

He drove home in silence, thinking more about Sydney's return to Dallas. It was going to be tough seeing her around, but Dallas was a big city. Maybe he wouldn't see her as much as he was worried about. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he wouldn't see her at all.

 _You think? You might be surprised. For a big city, Dallas is an awfully small town._


	3. Chapter 3

Sydney blinked back the hot, angry tears that blurred the headlights on the highway back to her hotel room. Alex had told her not long after she left that Gage had been drinking a lot and was moody and withdrawn more than he was his usual, congenial self, but Sydney thought that would have changed with time. Instead, he seemed to have gotten worse. Still, she refused to feel bad for his downward spiral. He asked for the time apart. Not her. She gave him what he wanted. If he couldn't deal with it, it certainly wasn't her problem.

Or was it?

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that old twinge of guilt. It was hard to believe they had come to this. Maybe she should have tried harder to work things out with Gage. They had loved each other back then and it seemed there was nothing they couldn't overcome; at least nothing up until that awful argument. It all seemed so stupid now, looking back.

Sydney had fallen in love with Gage the moment she'd first met him, years ago on an undercover assignment when they were trying to bring down El Leon. Nine months together in a cramped apartment with not much to do but talk to each other had a way of doing that, she supposed. She had kept her feelings to herself rather than jeopardize their partnership, up until the night he turned up on her front porch after they had broken up the Raptors' meth operation. Things had gone badly that day. Very badly. Somebody had ratted them out and Sydney would have been killed in a meth lab explosion if it hadn't been for Gage. He was very tense on their ride back to Ranger Headquarters that afternoon and very quiet once they'd returned. Sydney didn't mind; she hadn't felt much like talking, either. In all their years as rangers, that was the closest call they'd had, and they were both pretty shaken up. A few hours later, Gage knocked on her front door.

"Hey, Syd," Gage ran his hands through his blond hair, appearing nervous when she opened the door. "I didn't catch you at a bad time, did I?"

"No, no. Come in." Sydney had made good on her promise to get out of the uncomfortable biker leathers and had taken a shower and changed into sweatpants and a tank top. Her damp hair lay in dark waves against her shoulders. She held the door open for Gage.

"Rough day today, huh," Gage said, his voice echoing the shaky feeling he still had. "Are you okay?"

"Eh," Sydney waved her hand in front of her face. "I'm fine. Takes more than a few badass wannabes to take me down," she joked. "I'm just happy to be out of all that damn leather."

Leave it to Syd to try to make light of the situation. Gage stepped nearer to her, picking up the faint scent of coconut and vanilla from her shampoo. He drew her into a tight embrace, stroking her hair and feeling her heartbeat against his chest.

"God, Syd. Today scared the hell out of me. What if I couldn't have saved you?"

Sydney pulled away from Gage and looked him in the eye. His ocean-blue eyes mirrored the panic he was still feeling after the day's earlier events. "You can't think like that, Gage. You did save me and I'm okay. Everything is okay."

Gage sat down on the couch, taking Sydney's hand to pull her down to sit next to him. "I can't help it, Syd. It's all I can think about. What if I had gotten there just a few minutes later? What if I hadn't gotten there at all? I keep thinking of how close I came to losing you today and I just feel sick. I don't ever want to lose you, Syd. I can't ever lose you because…. Because…." Gage turned to her and placed his hand under her chin, tilting her face up to his, "I can't lose you because I love you."

"What?" Syd stared at Gage, wide-eyed. Her heart was doing somersaults in her chest. Did he just say what she thought he did?

"I love you, Syd. I have for so long. I hate to think that it took nearly losing you for me to actually tell you, but I do."

Sydney threw her arms around Gage's neck. "I love you, too," she whispered in his ear, trying to hold back tears. "I should have told you a long time ago, but I was so afraid of what you would say."

This time, Gage was the one staring wide-eyed in surprise. "Really?"

"Really," Syd smiled.

"So what do we do now?" Gage asked. "What are we going to tell Walker?"

"We tell him the truth and we deal with it. Whatever happens, Gage, you won't ever lose me."

Gage didn't let her say anything more. He covered her lips with his and kissed her more passionately than he had at the Raptors' camp, trying to convey in one kiss all the love he had felt for her for so long.

That guilty feeling gnawed at the pit of Sydney's stomach. Maybe Gage was right. Maybe she shouldn't have walked away. Maybe she should have tried harder. Isn't that what people do when they're in love? At least that's what she used to think, back when she still had those fairy-tale, happily-ever-after, visions-of-sugarplums ideas of love. She had definitely changed her tune about that business.

At any rate, Gage had no business going where he did. He had no idea what she'd been through, and he had no idea just how difficult today had been. Seeing him again for the first time in five years. Seeing Trivette and Erika's new babies. At least she didn't have to answer endless questions about Scott, and thank God and all his dancing angels for the fantastic concealer she found at the Dillard's beauty counter.

* * *

When Sydney first got to El Paso, she was pretty sure she'd just made the biggest mistake of her life. The forensics job was interesting, but it was more than what she expected and she went home to her tiny apartment every night feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what she was doing. Analyzing crime scenes was on a whole different level than raiding them. Plus, it was tough being the new girl and trying to fit in. She never had that issue when she started with the rangers in Dallas. Of course, she'd already worked with Gage on that long undercover assignment, and she had been thrilled to find out she was going to be his partner in Dallas. That made starting there a lot easier. She didn't have that kind of comfort and familiarity in El Paso.

As she slowly caught on to her new job, she also had to deal with the horrible nightmares. Every night she'd wake up drenched in sweat, her heart pounding as she stared wildly around the room trying to figure out where she was, recalling the terror that had yanked her from a deep but restless sleep. In nearly every dream, she was either falling into a deep, dark pit or into angry, churning water. She kept reaching and calling for somebody to help, but no help ever came. And in each dream, just before she woke up in terror, she would look up from her fall into darkness or her struggle in the rapidly swirling water and see Gage standing there. She'd reach out for him and call his name only to have him turn his back on her and walk away. Sydney wasn't sure what the nightmares meant, but she was pretty sure it wasn't good, and she began to dread nighttime, forcing herself to stay awake until she passed out on her couch or bed from sheer exhaustion until the next round of nightmares woke her again.

Despite her lack of confidence on the job and her lack of sleep at night, Sydney did make some good friends in El Paso. One of her closest friends, Kristine, who worked as the coroner's assistant, had talked Sydney into going with her and some of her friends to a rodeo. Sydney was sure she'd only feel homesick for Dallas, but she went anyhow and ended up having a great time. That was the night she met Scott. Scott Weatherton was a friend of Kristine's, and an emergency room doctor and trauma surgeon at the El Paso University Medical Center. He was charming and funny and seemed to be genuinely interested in what Sydney had to say. And he was incredibly attractive.

Still, Sydney wasn't quite ready to get involved with anyone. Her heart was still in Dallas, still firmly in the possession of one certain blond Texas ranger. That didn't deter Scott Weatherton. He had set his sights on Sydney and was bound and determined to win her over, starting by having flowers delivered to her just before she left work one Thursday afternoon, the card reading "Dinner tonight? I'll be waiting outside for your answer." As flattered as Sydney was, she met him outside and gave him her regrets. Unfazed, Scott did the same thing for the next three weeks with Sydney turning him down each time. The fourth week, the card with the flowers read "I can't take no for an answer, I'm waiting outside with dinner." With a little help from Kristine, Scott had ordered takeout from Sydney's favorite Italian restaurant and had set up a beautiful dinner on the tailgate of his pickup truck. Sydney would have been lying if she had said she wasn't impressed – by both his persistence and the romantic gesture.

Almost a year after Sydney's move to El Paso, while on a weekend trip away to Taos to celebrate Valentine's Day, Scott proposed to Sydney. Eight months after that, they were married. From the outside, Sydney was sure they looked like the perfect couple, but they had their struggles. Medical emergencies and criminal investigations don't follow set schedules, so there were a lot of days that they saw each other just in passing. Scott seemed to have a jealous streak and was wary of Sydney's co-workers, no matter how many times she insisted that there was no attraction on either side. Scott also seemed quick to anger, but would never discuss anything he was upset about – he would just retreat into silence and spend several nights sleeping on the couch in his study, leaving Sydney to wonder what she had done wrong. His silent treatments always ended with affectionate apologies and huge bouquets of flowers, with promises that he'd try harder to get his emotions in check. Always, until the next time it happened, of course.

* * *

The first time Sydney got a glimpse of Scott's temper was at a Fourth of July party they were hosting. He was talking to some friends when the discussion turned heated. Suddenly, Scott punched one of the other men in the face, breaking his nose. He then declared that the party was over and ordered everyone to leave. He later told Sydney that it was all over an off-color remark that the man had made about her and admitted that they all had been drinking and that his temper had gotten the best of him. He apologized and swore nothing like that would ever happen again.

But then there was the incident the following December, on the night of the annual hospital Christmas gala. As one of the University Medical Center's top doctors, it was a given that Scott would attend, and Sydney had come to enjoy the event. She bought a new dress and shoes and had every intention of leaving work early to get her hair done. Then everything went to hell, workwise. That was the day the Hemingway murders were discovered. Two murders before noon, each one with a quote from Hemingway pinned to the bodies. Sydney and her team were still processing the first two crime scenes when another one was found. They hadn't arrived at the third scene when two more were confirmed. The fear was that the murders were the work of a serial killer; all the victims were killed in the same way and a Hemingway quote was left at each crime scene. It had taken hours to process all five crime scenes and Sydney had ended up missing the hospital gala. It was well after midnight when she got home to find Scott locked in his study. When he didn't answer Sydney's knocks on the door, she went upstairs to bed. What she found when she turned on the bedroom light shocked her. Before she left for work, she'd laid the dress she had planned to wear to the gala out on the bed. The dress was still there, but it had been shredded. The surgical scissors Scott had used to cut the dark green velvet and lace dress to tatters were still laying on the floor in the middle of the room. Sydney didn't sleep that night. She spent the night sitting on the bed staring at the locked door, ready to jump at the slightest sound from the other side, holding her destroyed dress as if it were a shield.

Scott didn't talk to her for a week. When he was home, he stayed locked in his study. Sydney slept behind the locked bedroom door. After a week had passed, Sydney came home to find the house filled with bouquets of flowers and Scott waiting for her. He apologized, telling her that he would try harder to understand her commitment to her job and the crazy hours it required. Then he pulled out a small velvet box. Inside was a diamond and sapphire necklace. He told Sydney it was an apology gift. Sydney knew she should have known better at that point, but he seemed sincere, so she forgave him.

There were no more serious incidents and Sydney was relieved. She thought Scott's two outbursts may have been just blips on the radar screen and didn't think they were anything to worry about, though they were never totally forgotten. They settled in to the new year looking and feeling like the happy couple everyone thought they were. Finding out the news that Sydney was pregnant the next Thanksgiving only added to their newfound bliss. When Sydney broke the news to him, Scott insisted they celebrate with a weekend away to the same romantic resort in Taos where he had proposed.

* * *

Sydney loved every moment of being pregnant. She started redecorating their guest bedroom, turning it into the perfect nursery. While all her friends who had children had seemed to have suffered terrible morning sickness, she only had a few weeks of minor nausea and tiredness. Other than that, she felt great. She felt happy.

Then disaster struck.

Sydney woke up one morning in late January with feeling of unease. On the way to work, the cramping started and got progressively worse. She called her boss and told him she'd be late and drove to her doctor's office. There, her worst fears were confirmed. She had lost the baby.

Sydney was devastated. She spent the next three days in bed, alternating between crying and sleeping. When she finally made herself get out of bed, she realized that Scott hadn't been in to check on her. She searched the house for him, expecting to find him locked in his study. The study door was open; Scott wasn't there. Sydney searched the rest of the house, leaving the newly-decorated nursery for last. When she finally got the courage up to open the door to what would have been her baby's room, she was horrified at what she found. Black paint had been splattered over the walls, the floor, and all the furniture. All the baby clothes she had bought had been shredded, just like her Christmas gala dress. Their remains were scattered across the paint-covered floor.

Scott didn't come home for a week. Sydney didn't ask where he was. When he did get home, he slept in his study. He avoided Sydney all he could and rebuffed every attempt Sydney made to talk to him. Sydney was lonely and miserable, and after a month of Scott's silent treatment, she'd had enough. She contacted an attorney and filed for divorce.

* * *

The day Scott was going to be served with divorce papers, Sydney packed a suitcase and checked in to a hotel. She remembered the earlier episodes with Scott's temper and was afraid of how he'd handle the news that she had filed for divorce. But Scott seemed to take the news in stride, agreeing to the divorce without giving Sydney any problems. Relieved, Sydney found a small apartment and waited out the sixty days until her divorce would be final.

On the day their divorce was finalized, Scott told Sydney that he had packed all her remaining things at the house and she could stop by to pick them up. Sydney stopped by the house to find all her belongings neatly boxed and labeled. Scott helped her load what would fit into the back of her Jeep Wrangler.

"I'm really sorry things had to end up this way," Sydney spoke, her voice tinged with remorse.

"Me too," Scott replied, taking her hands and holding them tightly for a moment. "I'll always love you Syd." He pulled her into a hug. Just before he let her go, he growled into her ear, "Don't think there's anywhere you can go that I can't find you. Because I will find you."

Sydney stepped back away from him, shaken by his threatening words, but was pinned between Scott and the side of the Jeep. Suddenly, fireworks exploded in her head and an intense pain tore through her skull as Scott's fist connected hard with her cheek, knocking her against the side of the Jeep. Sydney cried out in pain and surprise.

"Just remember what I said," Scott hissed as he turned and walked away, leaving Sydney gasping for breath and trying to calm the throbbing pain in her eye and cheek.

When Sydney left El Paso, Scott's words were still echoing through her mind. She started off driving north through New Mexico, her mind racing. What if Scott was somehow able to track her? Sydney's ranger training told her it was highly improbable that Scott would have put some kind of tracking device on the Jeep; besides, he wouldn't have had access to it. Still, his words chilled her, and the longer Sydney drove, the more paranoid she felt. After a full day of driving, she checked into a Holiday Inn right off the interstate and unloaded all the boxes from the back of the Jeep. She went through each box and saved only the most valuable keepsakes, each of which she inspected very carefully. Everything else she tossed into the hotel dumpster. She got a new cell phone with a new number and dropped the old one in a trash can outside a grocery store next to the strip mall where she got her new phone.

Sydney woke the next day feeling better about things. Getting back on the road, Sydney turned east, driving across Texas to the one place that always felt like home to her, the one place that she knew she'd be safe.

* * *

When Sydney got back to her hotel, she did a quick scan of the parking lot. Walking up to her room, she kept a wary eye on everyone she passed. She quickly and carefully checked her room, the bathroom, the closet, and every area that could hide a person before she allowed herself to relax. That's when she noticed the message light on the room phone. Her heartbeat quickened and she held her breath as she dialed the number to the front desk. Using the name she had checked in under, Maria Martinez, she spoke quickly in perfect Spanish, saying she was calling from room 221 and asking if there was a message for her.

"Sí. Esto es Maria Martinez en la habitación 221. Hay un mensaje para mí?"

"Sí, la Señora. Martínez. Era solo una llamada de cortesía de nuestro manager para ver si todo estaba bien con tu habitación."

"Todo está bien. Muchas gracias por la comprobación. Buenas noches."

Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. Only a courtesy call from the manager to make sure everything was okay with her room. She told the front desk attendant that everything was fine and thanked him for checking. Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, Sydney changed her clothes and washed her face. In the harsh fluorescent light at the sink, the bruise on her cheek looked even worse, its colors an angry mix of purples and greenish-grays. Looking at her reflection, Sydney felt the tears start again. She shut off the light and climbed into bed, and then let the tears fall. Tears over the nightmare that had brought her nearly seven hundred miles back across Texas, tears over the baby she would never hold, tears over the way Gage had spoken to her that day. She cried herself to sleep and slept until the nightmare woke her up. A new nightmare this time. In this one, she was driving down a dark road and couldn't see where she was going. She was being followed, and when the car got close enough for her to see it, Scott Weatherton was the driver. He was chasing her, and when he caught her, he was going to kill her.

Sydney woke up screaming.


	4. Chapter 4

Sydney made a plan to meet with Walker on Monday morning. With Bobbie Hunt leaving for Company C in Lubbock, Walker was going to have an opening to fill and she wanted to be sure to get her name on the list. Her other order of business was to meet with a realtor to try to find a house. When she left Dallas five years ago, she'd put her house up for rent. Scott had eventually talked her into selling the charming bungalow. It made sense at the time; trying to manage a rental from the other side of the state was just too difficult, but now Sydney was regretting that decision.

Walking in to Ranger Headquarters early Monday morning, it seemed to Sydney that even though it had been five years since she'd last been there, it felt like she'd never left. Not much had changed in the office, from the way the desks were arranged to the same coffee pot in the corner. She laughed to herself when she noticed her favorite coffee cup was still sitting there next to the pot. She hadn't realized she had forgotten to take it with her when she left, and she wondered who had claimed it as their favorite now. It was early; Sydney knew Walker would be sitting at his desk, probably catching up on paperwork, but it would be unlikely anyone else would be there yet. That's what she was hoping for. She really didn't want to have to explain to everyone what she was doing back in Dallas, at least not until her job was a definite.

Sitting across the desk from Walker, Sydney was nervous. She explained why she was there – that she knew Bobbie would be going to Lubbock and that she would like to fill the position that Bobbie's transfer was going to leave open. She knew the worst he could tell her was no, but she was hopeful. She held her breath waiting for Walker to speak.

"Well, Sydney, you're right. Bobbie will be transferring to Lubbock in a few weeks. She won't be leaving until after the school year finishes so she won't have to worry about her daughter switching schools so close to the end of the year. According to policy, I do have to post the position, but I am not expecting to get many applicants. We've had a few retirees and we're a little stretched on manpower these days. I'd love to have you back on my team. I'll just have to run it by Captain Briscoe, and of course, you'll have to re-qualify for your fitness and marksmanship tests, too," Walker explained.

"I understand," Sydney said. "Even though I was on the forensics side out in El Paso, I stayed current with all my qualification requirements. I'm sure if you give Captain Phillips a call, he can send you my records and my current scores. That way we won't have to waste any time with re-testing and I can start as soon as I'm needed."

"That's good to know. I'll give him a call and I will also talk to Captain Briscoe as soon as he gets in. Why don't you stop back in a few hours because I'm sure he'll want to talk to you, and we'll go from there," Walker advised.

"I will. Thank you, Walker. Oh, one more thing. Would you mind if I used the ranger gym? The gym at the hotel is a bit lacking." Lacking was an understatement. With a broken treadmill and a mismatched set of free weights, the hotel gym, if it could even be called that, left a lot to be desired.

"That won't be a problem," Walker replied. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

* * *

Usually Gage had the ranger gym to himself on Monday mornings, so when he got to the gym that morning, he was surprised to find somebody else there. He was even more surprised to find that the tiny figure issuing a beating to the heavy bag was Sydney.

 _Guess you aren't the only one needing to pound out your frustrations this morning. Maybe you should have stuck with coffee._

"What are you doing here?" he asked

"I was here early to talk to Walker and he said I could use the gym. The gym at the hotel isn't very good," Sydney answered breathlessly, between punches to the bag. "Right now, I'm just killing time until Captain Briscoe gets in so I can talk to him."

"What are you talking to him for?"

"I heard Bobbie is transferring to Lubbock, so I reapplied for my old job."

Gage was speechless. The idea of Sydney coming back and working with him hit him like a thunderbolt.

Sydney walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, fluffing her hair with a towel. After taking a long drink of water from a red and white water bottle, she stood and eyed Gage for a moment, and then tossed him a pair of boxing gloves.

"You look like you could use a good sparring partner," she taunted as she pulled on headgear and gloves and motioned him to the center of the mat in the middle of the room.

"Do I? I'll warn you, Cooke, I'm not five years out of practice."

"Well, good. I won't have to waste my time teaching you anything," Sydney teased.

They circled each other on the mat, dodging and weaving. It may have been five years, but Sydney was clearly not out of practice. Gage recalled very quickly how good of a sparring partner she was as he ducked a couple of punches only to be surprised by a couple of hooks and jabs.

"Oh, come on, Gage. You should have seen that one coming." Sydney landed another easy jab. "And that one."

Sydney dodged a roundhouse kick and came up to land two more surprise punches.

"What's your problem, Gage? You're better at sparring than this. Are you that much out of practice?"

Gage walked a few steps away from Sydney and then turned to face her, gloved fist resting on his hip.

"I'll tell you what the problem is, Syd. The problem is that I'm not too excited about the idea of you being my partner again," Gage huffed.

"Why not?" Sydney's voice rang with disappointment and surprise.

"Well, you left. And to be honest, Syd, I just don't think I can trust you not to leave again. How do I know I can count on you not to run for the hills if things get ugly?"

"Seriously? Are we talking about work or are we talking about a relationship? Because I think you need to separate the two," Sydney replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm talking about both."

"Well, I'm talking about work. I reapplied for my job, nothing more." Sydney countered.

"Fine. But I still need to be able to trust you," Gage felt the headache starting again and knew it was going to be a long day.

"Gage, I have always had your back. I've never given you a reason to think I wouldn't. Why would you think I would be different now?"' Sydney asked pointedly.

"I just need a partner that isn't going to leave me when I need her," Gage snapped.

Sydney spun a roundhouse kick dangerously close to Gage's jaw. Gage ducked out of the way, only to hit the mat hard when Sydney hooked her foot behind his right leg, bringing him down onto the mat.

"Jesus, Syd. What the hell was that for?"

But Sydney was already walking away from him, taking off her headgear and gloves and dropping them on the mat as she went. "I don't think I want to do this anymore," she said over her shoulder, her voice sounding almost dejected.

 _Somehow, I don't think she's talking about sparring._

* * *

When Gage got back upstairs to Ranger Headquarters, Bobbie Hunt, his partner for the last five years, met him at his desk with a cup of coffee.

"You look like walking hell this morning, partner," she bantered cheerfully.

"Gee, thanks, Hunt. Not everyone can be Miss America every day," Gage retorted. Gage didn't mind Bobbie. She was a good ranger, but she was definitely not Sydney. He hoped for a quiet day so he didn't have to spend much time in a car with her. He had a feeling she'd grate on his nerves pretty quickly. Besides that, the headache that started earlier while sparring with Sydney had come on full-blown and had made no bones about the fact that it had every intention of ruining his day, at least until he could get to CD's and drown it with a few longnecks worth of Lone Star.

Bobbie perched herself on the corner of Gage's desk with her own cup of coffee. "I heard Sydney was here this morning."

"Hmmpf." Gage grunted, flipping open a file.

"I also heard she reapplied for her old job," Bobbie added.

Gage didn't answer.

"I would think you'd be happy about that. You could get your old partner back when I go to Lubbock."

"Yeah, you'd think," Gage growled, taking a sip of coffee.

"Gage, I just want you to know, I've really enjoyed working with you these last five years. I've learned a lot. I know it probably wasn't easy having to break in a new partner, and I appreciate your patience. And it's been fun working with you. It really has been. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that," Bobbie smiled warmly.

Gage smiled back. A slight smile, but still a smile. "Thanks, Bobbie. It's been fun working with you, too."

A few hours later, Sydney walked back in the doors of Company B headquarters. As Walker had requested, she was there to meet with him and Captain Briscoe. Bobbie greeted her happily and informed her that Walker was on the phone and would be with her shortly, inviting her to have a seat at her desk where they chatted idly until Walker was through with his phone call.

Gage sat at his desk glaring at Sydney.

 _Small town and getting smaller by the second isn't it?_

Finally, Gage could take no more. He slammed the file on his desk shut and stalked out of ranger headquarters. Trivette looked up from his computer and chuckled to himself.

"Wow. He certainly is in a mood this morning," Bobbie mused. "Wonder where he's going?"

"Probably to ice down his bruised ego," Sydney cracked. She couldn't help but notice that her favorite coffee cup was sitting on Gage's desk.

* * *

If any day called for a few rounds at CD's after work, Gage thought, this one did. He took his usual spot at the bar and Marta brought him a longneck without even asking. Gage wondered if it was because he was a creature of habit or if he was just there so often. He tipped the bottle to his lips and took a long drink of the ice cold liquid, feeling relief as the stress of the day and the headache that had dogged him since early that morning seemed to instantly fade away. He set the bottle down on the bar and studied the room behind him in the mirror on the wall across from him.

Sydney was sitting at one of the booths. Damn it, didn't she have anywhere else to go?

 _Dallas is pretty much a one-horse town these days, isn't it?_

Gage watched her in the mirror for a few minutes, trying to judge if she was by herself. He ordered another beer and walked over to her table, sitting down in the booth across from her.

"What the hell was that all about today?" he growled.

"What was what all about?" Sydney asked, annoyed, as she rearranged the papers in front of her. They looked like real estate listings.

"You waltzing in to headquarters and being all chummy with Captain Briscoe. Oh, and that bullshit in the gym this morning. My back is still hurting from that one."

"I'm sorry about that, Gage. I was just trying to knock some sense into you after that ridiculous thought you had about not wanting me to be your partner because I might leave. As for meeting with Captain Briscoe, I told you, I reapplied for my old job. And it sounds like I have a pretty good chance of getting it, too."

Gage took a long sip of his beer.

"So what are you doing back in Dallas? I know you didn't come here just because Bobbie is going to Lubbock." Gage asked.

"Well, to answer that question and the question you asked at Walker's the other day, no. Mr. Wonderful, as you called him, is not with me. And no, he is not back home playing Mr. Mom, either. We're divorced. And we didn't have any kids." Sydney's voice was almost emotionless.

"But I saw the package Alex was sending you with all the baby clothes," Gage reminded her.

"Yeah, well. I had a miscarriage. Back in January."

Gage cringed inside. So that explained why she wasn't holding Jimmy and Erika's twins at the cookout.

 _Well, now. Don't you feel like an ass?_

"Oh. I'm sorry, Syd. I really didn't know." Gage felt embarrassed.

"Well, what's that they say? That which doesn't kill us?" Sydney flipped through the real estate listings on the table in front of her. She debated telling Gage everything. The shredded dress, the paint-splattered nursery, how Scott had acted when she lost the baby, how he had hit her and threatened her when she picked her things up at the house, the nightmares that shook her awake every single night, how she was afraid that Scott was out there looking for her, how she was terrified that one day he would find her and the fear of what he would do when he did. She longed for Gage to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was okay, that he'd protect her. For a moment, she almost did, but her shame kept her silent. She was a Texas ranger. She had seen countless cases of battery and domestic violence and she knew all the signs. She should have known better, yet there she was, a victim herself. She had trouble admitting it when she looked in the mirror and saw the proof Scott left on her cheek. If she couldn't bear the shame of what had happened to her when she hid her bruises with makeup, how could she let anyone else know what had happened?

Sydney took a long look around CD's. "I have so many great memories of this place," she said with a sigh, "and it seems like you're in every one of them."

Gage took a deep breath and looked out the window, frowning. The late May sky was turning dark. A thunderstorm was brewing, and far away, lightning flashed in the gathering clouds.

"Yeah, I guess you'd forgotten all about all those times," Sydney spoke quietly, her voice filled with sorrow. "That's okay. They're my memories to hold on to. You do what you will with yours."

Gage turned to face Sydney, his expression as dark as the gathering clouds outside, his voice harsh. "You think I forgot? I couldn't go anywhere in this city for the last five years without being reminded of you or without thinking I saw you. And you sit there and tell me that I forgot. You're the one who left, Syd. I was the one who stayed here with your memory." He finished off his beer and continued, his voice softer this time, sadder. "You left here and started over in El Paso. You could have started over anywhere. Why Dallas?"

The anger in Sydney's eyes turned to sadness. "Because Dallas is home to me and doesn't everyone want to go home when everything falls apart? Look, Gage, I'm sorry my coming back here is such a problem for you. You don't have to have a role in 'Sydney, The Sequel' if you don't want it, but you're probably going to have to work with me, so I suggest you at least get used to the idea of my being around."

Sydney's cell phone rang and she answered it, taking down directions and making arrangements to meet with the caller.

"That was my realtor. She has a house she wants me to see. Are we done here?" she asked Gage, her voice cracking.

"Yeah, we're done. As done as we've been for the last five years." Gage hissed.

Sydney gathered her real estate listings and left CD's as the sky opened with a crash of thunder and a hard rain began to fall. Gage sat at the booth, tapping his empty beer bottle on the table, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.

 _You know, if fucking up were an Olympic sport, you would have just taken gold._

Gage jumped up from the booth and followed Sydney out into the storm.

* * *

"Damn it," Sydney hissed under her breath, choking back tears. She kept trying to unlock the door to her Jeep but her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't get the key into the lock. The wind-driven rain didn't help. She pushed her wet hair out of her face and tried again, only to drop her keys into a puddle at her feet. As she bent to retrieve them, Gage stepped up behind her and picked them up. He unlocked the Jeep's driver's side door and handed Sydney her keys. When she put her hand on the door handle to open it, he stopped her, covering her hand with his.

Sydney turned to look at him. "Gage, I –" have to meet the realtor she thought, as he buried a hand in the wet hair at the back of her neck and drew her to him, kissing her. His soft kiss turned harder and more urgent as he ran his tongue across her lips, and then inside her mouth, tasting the sweetness he had missed and longed for those five agonizing years. Sydney tried to push him away, but Gage held her tighter to him until she gave in, allowing soft curves to melt against hard planes of muscle. It didn't matter to him that they were standing in the street, kissing in the middle of a torrential rainstorm. All that mattered was the woman in his arms was the woman he had loved and missed so terribly, so achingly so, and he needed her to know it.

Sydney wasn't sure if the crashing noise she heard was thunder or her heart pounding in her chest. She was barely aware of the rain that had thoroughly drenched both of them. Her hands ran down the soaked fabric of his shirt and across his broad chest and she moaned softly. That's when Gage suddenly broke off the kiss. Sydney looked up at him through raindrop-tipped lashes, bewildered.

"I haven't forgotten." Gage snapped, letting her go and turning to walk away, leaving Sydney standing, staring after him and confused, in the pouring rain.

After she watched him leave, Sydney got in her Jeep, laid her head against the steering wheel, and sobbed.


	5. Chapter 5

The weeks ahead were mostly uneventful. Sydney moved from the hotel to a small furnished apartment. It wasn't ideal, but it was more secure. The bruise on her cheek had long faded away, but her memory of it - and the terrible nightmares - had not. She still woke up in terror every night from the horrific visions that haunted her sleep, and she still lived each day with the fear firmly planted in the back of her mind that Scott Weatherton would find her, and when he did, he'd kill her.

At ranger headquarters, changes were coming. Bobbie Hunt was finishing up her final days in Company B and would be moving on to Lubbock. Captain Briscoe had approved Sydney's application for Bobbie's position without a second thought. He had taken one look at the records that Captain Phillips sent over from El Paso and had recalled the work Sydney had done while she had been in Company B previously, stood and walked around his desk, shook her hand and offered a hearty "Welcome home, Ranger Cooke!" Walker had been awarded Captain Briscoe's position and a search was on to fill Walker's position. Word was Trivette was in the running, but anytime anyone asked him about it, he humbly waved them off, saying that he had his hands full with twin babies at home.

* * *

Alex had decided that a party was in order - a joint congratulations/retirement party to celebrate Walker's promotion and Captain Briscoe's retirement. She made all the arrangements with Walker's friend Frank Bishop, the owner of Frank's Spot, one of Dallas' most popular nightclubs. Alex was bursting with excitement when she told Sydney her plans and invited her to the party.

"That's a wonderful idea, Alex, but I don't know, I don't have a thing to wear. All my dresses are in storage," Sydney cringed at the little white lie, knowing that any dress she might have had that would have been suitable for the party was left in a dumpster outside a Holiday Inn in New Mexico.

"Sydney Cooke. Have I not taught you anything?" Alex chided. "Not having a dress is no excuse for missing a party, especially when I know of a brand-new dress shop that should have something perfect for you. Let me call Erika and see if she wants to tag along and we'll go tomorrow afternoon and see what they have. I'm sure a little retail therapy would do us all some good!"

Sydney laughed. Alex was always up for giving a credit card a workout, and a girls' afternoon out sounded like just what Sydney needed.

Alex had a harder time convincing Gage about the party.

"That depends, Alex. Is she going? Because if she is, I'm not," Gage snarled.

"Oh yes you are," Alex scolded. "Walker has been very good to you over the years. The very least you can do, Gage, is pull yourself out of this mood or funk or whatever it is you're in and go and help us celebrate Walker's promotion."

Gage was stunned. He hadn't been expecting Alex to snap at him like that.

"And one more thing," Alex continued, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently at the tall blond ranger, "this little issue you have with Sydney. You need to find a way to deal with it. You're going to be working with her. I know you were hurt when she left, but that was a long time ago. It's time you got over it."

 _Wow. Guess you have plans for Saturday night now. Glad you didn't have to clear your schedule._

Gage stared at the floor, knowing Alex was right.

"So, you'll be there Saturday? Seven o'clock?" Alex asked.

Gage nodded.

"Good. I promise, it'll be fun. And Walker will be happy to see you there."

* * *

When Frank Bishop threw a party, he threw a party. Especially when one of the honorees was his long-time friend Cordell Walker. Frank oversaw all the details himself, planning the dinner menu, ordering the wine and champagne, and putting together a special show. He told Alex it was the least he could do for all the help Walker gave him in getting him out of that huge mess with Sonny Martone and the Ferrelli family when they threatened to take over his club. He promised Alex a perfect night in honor of Walker and Captain Briscoe and told her all she had to do was take care of the guest list.

Gage was at the bar and already a full drink in and working on his second Jack Daniel's on the rocks when Sydney arrived. He had made up his mind that he was going to avoid her as much as he could. It was one thing to be at the same party with her. They didn't have to spend the night attached at the hip. His first glimpse of her made his breath catch in his throat, the sip of whiskey he had just taken catching as well, sending him into a coughing fit. The bartender looked at him with a funny expression, motioning to ask if he was okay. Gage waved him off.

Jesus, he thought, taking in the vision that was Sydney as she walked in the room. His breath left him in a long, low whistle.

 _And you're going to try to avoid that all night? You've got some serious willpower._

Sydney was wearing a figure-skimming dark purple cocktail dress that fit just right in all the right places. The deep vee of the halter neckline was adorned with sparkling purple and iridescent crystals and tied at the back of her neck with a large bow, showing off her toned back. She finished the look with high-heeled, open-toed silver shoes and had curled her hair and pinned it up loosely so that soft tendrils fell around her face. She looked stunning, and Gage couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Wow, Sydney looks amazing, doesn't she," Bobbie spoke as she stepped up to the bar next to Gage to order a drink.

Gage didn't reply.

"Hello? Earth to Gage?" Bobbie waved her hand in front of Gage's eyes. "You can blink, you know," Bobbie teased.

"What? Oh, hey, Hunt. When did you get here?" Gage's face burned as a blush crept up from his collar.

"Only about the same time Syd walked in and you dropped your teeth," Bobbie joked, taking a sip of her drink. "You know, for somebody who tried so hard not to be excited about Sydney coming back to Company B, you're sure singing a different tune now." Bobbie winked and walked away.

 _Busted._

Sydney made her rounds around the room, saying hello to friends. She was talking to Trivette and Erika when she caught a glimpse of Gage standing at the bar. She had to admit he cut a handsome figure in a dark gray suit that fit perfectly across his broad shoulders, a pale gray shirt, and a slate blue tie. They really hadn't spoken since that afternoon at CD's, and Sydney was nervous about talking to him. She talked to a few more friends and eventually found herself near the bar. She gathered her courage and decided to approach him, if only to say hello.

Gage saw Sydney coming toward him. He focused on the glass of whiskey and ice sitting on the bar in front of him. Sydney walked up beside him, a glass of wine in her hand.

"Hey," she greeted him shyly.

"Syd." Gage acknowledged her and took a deep breath to try to compose himself. He caught a faint whiff of perfume. Sydney almost never wore perfume. It smelled sweet and flowery and a little spicy. He had a strong urge to kiss her neck and her wrists to find out where she was wearing it. "You look nice," he said, finally able to speak.

"Thank you," Sydney smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself." She turned to join Walker and Alex at their table, the scent of her perfume lingering behind.

Damn it, Gage thought, focusing harder on his glass, on the condensation ring it left on the bar, on anything else but Sydney and that dress, that perfume.

 _Not as easy as you thought, is it? Where's that willpower now?_

Sitting at the same table as Sydney at dinner, just several seats away, was maddening. Gage tried to concentrate on anything else but couldn't help catching glimpses of her. Each time he did, she'd smile. It was almost like she was enjoying the torture she was putting him through, whether she knew she was doing it or not. Gage could feel the beginnings of another headache starting as he sat through dessert and Walker's and Captain Briscoe's speeches. Then Frank Bishop took the stage to perform a special show he dedicated to the two men and their years of service.

Just for the special evening, Frank had cleared space for a dance floor. From the bar, Gage watched the show and the couples dancing to the old standards and swing tunes, another glass of Jack Daniel's in his hand. He didn't notice Sydney walk up next to him until she spoke.

"Want to dance?" she asked tentatively.

"Syd, you know I don't like to dance. Besides, if I dance with you, then I'll have to dance with Hunt. I'll be on the floor all night."

"You should dance with her. She's been your partner and she's leaving soon. You kind of owe it to her," Sydney gave Gage an impish grin.

"I owe it to her?" Gage looked at Sydney with a raised eyebrow. What he really wanted to do was grab her and kiss her. That smile made her look adorable. He fought hard to keep his emotions in check and his hands wrapped tightly around his glass.

"Yeah. You had to have done something in the last five years that drove her nuts. Go dance with her and make it up to her." Sydney reached over and took Gage's glass. The slight brush of her fingertips against his hand was like an electric shock. "Go," she ordered with a smile.

When the song ended, Gage returned to the bar and ordered another drink. He and Sydney stood in silence, watching Frank's show. When Frank announced he was playing the final slow song of the evening, Gage turned to Sydney and held out his hand.

"I thought you didn't like to dance," Sydney teased.

"Well, since I danced with Bobbie, I have to dance with you, too. And I probably owe it to you, like you said."

Sydney took his hand and let him lead her onto the dance floor. Once there, Gage wasn't quite sure what to do next. Her dress had him perplexed. A hand on the bare skin of her back that her dress exposed would drive him insane. A hand at her waist seemed almost too intimate. He gave in and rested his hand as lightly as he could on her back and tried not to think of what he was doing.

 _Good luck with that, pal. You'd be better off explaining quantum physics to a room full of chimpanzees._

At the end of the night, when everyone was saying their goodbyes, Walker and Alex approached Gage at the bar.

"Gage, you're not driving home," Alex ordered. "Walker and I would be more than happy to drive you."

"Just so you don't get sick in my truck," Walker joked.

"He's more than welcome to ride with me," Sydney heard the conversation as she walked up to say goodnight to Walker and Alex. "Besides, Gage's apartment is on my way home. It'll be a good half hour out of your way and you still have to get to the HOPE Center to pick up Angela."

"Well, if that's okay with both of you, then, that's okay with me," Alex said, relieved. "I just didn't want Gage driving home."

* * *

Sydney and Gage were both silent on the drive back to his apartment. Gage couldn't help but to steal glimpses of her. He could never get over how beautiful she was and tonight she was radiant. He felt like he should say something and struggled to put words together to make conversation.

"That was a nice party tonight," he began.

"It was. Alex and Frank did a nice job."

"I talked to Captain Briscoe. He said the first thing he's going to do when he retires is go on the fishing trip that CD was always trying to talk him into taking," Gage laughed. "CD was always trying to take people fishing."

"Well, I hope he goes. He's worked hard and he deserves the break. Forty-two years as a Texas ranger. That's something to be proud of."

"It's going to be different with Walker as captain," Gage pointed out.

"Yes, yes it will," Sydney agreed.

Sydney stopped in front of Gage's apartment building. "You're still living here," she said, her voice almost wistful.

"It's a nice building. Quiet." Gage shifted in his seat. "Syd, if I didn't tell you, you look beautiful tonight."

Even in the dark, Gage could see the blush that spread over Sydney's cheeks. "Thank you," she replied, looking down and away from him.

"No," Gage leaned over, putting a finger under her chin and turning her head to him. "I mean it. You look…. You are beautiful."

Sydney felt her heartbeat quicken. "Gage, it's late. I really ought to – " Her words were cut off when Gage brushed the gentlest of kisses across her lips.

"Do you really want to go?" he asked, not moving away from her. He leaned toward Sydney again, kissing her once more. Sydney allowed herself to lean into him, kissing him back, letting him pull her tongue into his mouth. He tasted like whiskey. Gage ran his hand down the smooth, velvety skin of her back, feeling her sigh softly. His kisses grew more insistent, breaking away from her mouth to kiss along her jaw and her neck.

"Come up," he whispered in her ear.

Sydney's heart and brain fought each other in a battle of desire and logic. She knew if she went up to his apartment exactly where things might lead and just how far down a very complicated road they'd be going. The logical part of her mind screamed for her to stop and think of what she was about to do while her heart was throwing all caution to the wind and telling her to forget complicated and go, _go with him!_ The heart wants what the heart wants, she recalled the old quote as she parked the Jeep and shut off the engine.

Gage took Sydney's hand and led her upstairs to his apartment, kissing her in the hallway while he fumbled with his keys to open his apartment door. Once inside, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a long, deep kiss that made Sydney's knees weak. She leaned back against the wall to steady herself, allowing Gage to kiss her neck, tracing his hands up and down her sides until she was numb with goosebumps.

Sydney pushed Gage's suit jacket off his shoulders, running her hands over his strong arms as he covered her mouth with hot kisses that she returned with longing, teasing and tasting him. She easily unknotted his tie and began to unbutton his shirt, brushing her fingertips lightly over his muscular chest.

"God, Syd. You have no idea what you do to me," he whispered between kisses, his voice husky with desire and emotion.

With one quick motion, he slid Sydney's dress high on her thighs and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Holding her against the wall, he pressed himself against her. Sydney moaned softly into his kiss; she could feel exactly what she did to him.

"Stay with me?" Gage asked, his voice a barely audible whisper, his forehead against hers so he could look directly into her dark eyes.

Sydney answered with a kiss, gently drawing his lower lip between her teeth to suck on it. Gage saw fireworks explode in his head. He carried her to his bedroom, where he gently set her on his bed.

Gage undid the bow at the neck of Sydney's dress and slid his hands down her back. He undid the zipper on her dress, and easing her back, slid the column of dark purple fabric from her slim body, leaving her naked except for a pair of lace panties that he teased off of her. Gage had to stop for a moment to get his breathing under control. It hadn't occurred to him that a bra was not an option with the dress she had been wearing and the thought was an incredible turn-on.

"Everything okay?" Sydney asked.

"Everything's perfect," Gage replied huskily.

Sydney sat up and finished working the buttons on Gage's shirt, untucking it from his waistband and sliding it from his arms. When she settled her hand on the buckle of his belt, he stopped her. If she went anywhere near him at that moment, her touch would be too much to stand. He laid her back and began kissing her again, starting at her lips and teasing kisses along her jaw and her neck, slowly working his way down, across her breasts, her stomach, her thighs, gently caressing her along the way. Her cries of delight and pleasure when Gage hit certain sensitive spots only added more fuel to his fire. When he was more in control of himself, he slipped out of his pants and boxers and pulled her hand to him.

The moment she touched him, he felt like he had been struck by lightning. Had he ever wanted her this badly? Had he ever wanted anyone this badly? He slipped easily inside her, and moaned as a million incredible sensations overtook him, the scent of her perfume, the feeling of her skin against his, her legs curled around his hips, her breath hot against his shoulder, her nails on his back, her fingers tangled in his hair, her moans of pleasure in his ear. This was what he had missed for five long years. Gage had every intention of taking things slowly, of memorizing the feel of every single rise and valley of Sydney's exquisite body underneath his, but a rush of desire overcame him and he had no choice but to hang on and let it take them both on a wild ride to a breathless finish.

Afterwards, they lay together with Sydney wrapped in Gage's arms, her head on his chest. Gage played with her silky hair.

"I've missed you so much, baby," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"I've missed you, too," Sydney replied.

"I'm sorry I've been an ass since you got back," Gage said remorsefully,

"It's okay. I've already forgiven you." Sydney tilted her head up to kiss Gage on the jaw.

"I'm glad you're home, Syd." Gage wrapped his arms around her a little tighter.

"Me too," Sydney answered sleepily, her eyes fluttering shut. In moments, she was asleep.

* * *

The nightmare woke Sydney with a start. She cried out in terror as she struggled to free herself from Gage's arms, sitting upright and staring around the room, her eyes wild with panic as she tried to figure out where she was and who she was with.

Her sudden movement startled Gage awake. "Syd, Syd, what's wrong? What is it?"

Sydney struggled to untangle herself from the sheets, from Gage. Gage saw the panic in her unseeing eyes and pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Shhhh. Easy, baby. You're okay. You're with me. Everything's okay," Gage soothed as he kissed and stroked Sydney's hair.

Sydney calmed down when she realized where she was and who she was with. Gage got up to get her a glass of water. He returned to find her sitting up, hugging her knees to her chest, her cheeks wet with tears.

"Syd, what's wrong? What was that all about?"

"It's nothing. It was just… Just a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you up." Sydney took the glass of water Gage offered and took a few sips.

"That must have been some dream. What was it about?" Gage set the glass on the nightstand and got back into bed, pulling Sydney close to him.

"I don't… I don't even remember now," Sydney replied, even though she did remember. She remembered all too well because the nightmare was always the same. Scott Weatherton was out there looking for her and he was getting closer.

"Well, it was just a bad dream and you're safe. I promise as long as you're with me, you always will be," Gage kissed her gently. "Go back to sleep, baby. Everything's okay."

Sydney curled herself into Gage's arms. She lay in the dark with her head on Gage's chest, calmed by the sound of his heartbeat; his steady breathing let her know that he had fallen asleep. Sydney decided at that moment that she was going to tell Gage the truth. She was going to tell Gage everything about Scott and let him know that Scott was coming for her. But before she told him about Scott, there was something she had to tell him first. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was something she had to do. She just hoped that he would understand.

* * *

Sydney awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing and the sound of the shower running. She untangled herself from the sheets and padded to the bathroom, slipping into the shower behind Gage, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing herself against his back, planting a kiss on his shoulder.

"Good morning, gorgeous," she smiled as he turned to kiss her.

"Good morning. I thought you were asleep."

"Mmm. I was. But I heard the shower and thought you could use some company," Sydney purred.

Sydney trailed her fingertips over Gage's wet skin. She saw the scars on his shoulder and chest from the bear attack at Lake Ebby so many years ago. They had long since faded and were barely noticeable, but Sydney knew exactly where they were. She traced the scars with her fingers, and then with her lips, kissing along the jagged, silvery-white lines as if each kiss could erase the faint imperfections.

Her touch was like a lightning bolt right through him. Gage pulled Sydney to him, covering her lips with his and kissing her, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He ran his hands down Sydney's back and cupped her bottom, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. Backing her against the tile wall of the shower, he slid her gently down onto him. Sydney moaned and wrapped her arms around Gage's neck, rocking against him. With a soft cry, she finished. Satisfied, she clung to him, feeling him finish moments after her. Gage eased her back down to her feet, holding her close.

"That was mind-blowing," he said, his voice low and husky. "I don't know where that came from, but I liked it."

"I know." Sydney stood on tip-toe to kiss him at the base of his throat. The water was turning cold in the shower and she was starting to shiver. Gage noticed and shut the water off, helping Sydney out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her and holding her close against him for a long moment.

"Are you hungry? I can make breakfast," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Mmm. That sounds good. What are my toast choices?" Sydney asked with a giggle.

"How about I surprise you?" Gage asked with a wink. "There are some of your old clothes in the bottom dresser drawer. Probably something more comfortable than that dress in there, unless you really want to put that dress back on," Gage kissed Sydney and left her to get dressed while he fixed breakfast.

* * *

Sydney found Gage in the kitchen, beating eggs to make French toast. She poured a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter, watching him.

"What made you decide to take that forensics job? Didn't they have any field positions in El Paso?" Gage asked, dipping slices of bread into the egg mixture.

Sydney rested her elbows on the counter, holding her coffee cup between both hands. "To be honest, Gage, after working with you for so long, I just couldn't bring myself to work with another partner."

Gage smiled. "I can understand. I really didn't have a choice. I had to work with Bobbie. She's not a bad ranger, but she's not you. And she's just too damn happy all the time."

"And I'm not?" Sydney asked, feigning offense.

"Not like her," Gage laughed, fixing two plates of French toast and carrying them to the table. Sydney followed him.

"Mmm. This is delicious," Sydney said, after a bite.

After a few moments of silence, Sydney set her fork down and took a deep breath. It was time to tell Gage her secret. She said a silent prayer that he would understand and then spoke. "Gage, remember I told you I had a miscarriage back in January?"

Gage looked up and nodded.

"That wasn't the only baby I lost."

Gage was confused. What did this have to do with anything and why was she telling him now? "I'm sorry, Syd. That had to have been awful for you and… and…. whatever his name was."

 _Well, now. That's a bit of a buzzkill after this morning._

Sydney looked down and idly pushed a piece of French toast around her plate. "No. It wasn't when I was married. It happened about four weeks after I moved to El Paso."

Sydney studied Gage's eyes to see his reaction. She could see him mentally working out the math, counting back from four weeks after she would have left Dallas.

"Wait a second. If it was four weeks after you left, that means you were… you were pregnant when you left." Gage's face registered shock at the realization. "You were pregnant and you didn't tell me!"

 _Holy shit. Talk about dropping a bomb. That was nuclear._

"Gage, I swear, when I left, I didn't know."

"You didn't know."

"No. I swear, Gage, I had no idea. I didn't know until I miscarried."

"And you still didn't tell me," Gage spat in anger.

"What good would it have done? Telling you wouldn't have changed anything." Sydney cried, feeling like everything was whirling out of control around her.

"That was my baby, too, Syd. You didn't think I would want to know? You didn't think I would want to be there for you?" Gage's voice was cold.

"I don't know, I didn't know. It was such a shock to me. Gage, believe me! After everything that happened with us, I had no idea how you'd react."

Gage was silent as he picked up his plate and coffee cup and took them to the sink, where he stood with his back to Sydney, refusing to look at her.

"Gage, I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry," Sydney's voice was filled with remorse.

"Get out," Gage ordered.

"What?" Sydney asked, not believing what she'd heard.

"Get… out…" Gage ordered again, not even turning to look at Sydney.

Sydney didn't bother to gather her dress or shoes. She found her keys by the door and left, driving back to her apartment in an early morning misty rain in tears.


	6. Chapter 6

Gage paced his apartment, his mind racing. How could Sydney not have known she was pregnant? How could she have not known how he would have reacted to the news? He would have been thrilled! Hell, he would have been more than thrilled - he would have been over the moon! If only she would have told him, he would have run the entire way across Texas just to be with her.

He wondered what would have happened if she hadn't gone to El Paso. Would she still have lost the baby? His baby. Their baby. If not, their baby would be four years old now. If it were a little boy, he would probably be playing tee-ball and would love super heroes. Gage could picture him, watching cartoons on Saturday morning and leaping from the chair to the coffee table to the couch, a bath towel around his neck like a cape, proclaiming he was Superman. And if it were a little girl, she'd be the spitting image of Sydney, with her daddy wrapped firmly around her little finger. Gage could picture lots of pink and tea parties and a stuffed bunny that she'd take everywhere. Who was he kidding? She'd probably like super heroes, too, and being that she was one-half Sydney, she'd undoubtedly be knocking some kid's teeth out on the playground one day, making him the proudest dad in the carpool lane.

 _Sure, blame that on Sydney. It's not like you haven't knocked a few kids' teeth out in your day defending your sister._

But he'd never know now, would he. Thinking about it had given him a raging headache. He rummaged through the kitchen cabinet, looking for the bottle of Jack Daniel's he knew was there. A glass crashed to the countertop and then to the floor, sending shards flying that sparkled like the crystals on Sydney's purple dress. Gage's mind went back to just hours before, when Sydney had been in his arms, in his bed, and everything had seemed so incredibly perfect.

"Stop that, damn it," he ordered himself, but his mind kept drifting back to last night. He poured a glass of Jack and took a sip, letting the amber liquid burn his thoughts away.

 _Looks like it's you, me, and Jack today, son. Sounds like a party, what do you say?_

* * *

Sydney woke up on her couch, where she had cried herself into a fitful sleep after she got home earlier that morning. She picked up her phone and started to punch up Gage's number, but hit cancel. What would she say? What was there to say?

Sydney punched up another number instead. Alex Cahill-Walker was her best friend and the most reasonable person she knew. If anyone had any idea how to fix the mess she had just gotten herself into, it would be Alex.

Alex listened as Sydney explained through near-hysterical tears what had happened the night before and earlier that morning. When Sydney said that she had spent the night with Gage, Alex gave a silent cheer. She had always hoped that Sydney and Gage would end up back together. Her joy gave way to dismay when Sydney told her how things had ended that morning.

Alex was at Sydney's apartment within the hour armed with a box of tissues, a bottle of wine, a carton of chocolate fudge ice cream, and a box of assorted delicacies from a wonderful little bakery known for their decadent cakes and pastries. She hugged Sydney and directed her to the couch with the box of tissues while she opened the wine and ice cream.

"Now," Alex handed Sydney a dish of ice cream and a spoon and set two glasses and the opened bottle on the coffee table, "tell me everything."

Sydney recounted how she thought the missed periods and intermittent morning sickness were nothing more than symptoms of the incredible stress she had been under after her breakup with Gage and the move to El Paso. How the intense cramping and bleeding she woke up with one morning sent her to the urgent care clinic a couple of blocks from her apartment. She was certain that it was a cyst or, worst-case scenario, some kind of cancer. She was shocked to learn that she had suffered a miscarriage. She'd never even considered the idea that she might be pregnant. After all, she and Gage had always tried to be very careful.

"What was I going to tell him then, Alex? We had broken up. If I would have called him and told him, it would have sounded like some crazy-woman scheme to get him back. I told him today because I needed to get it off my conscience. I thought he deserved to know. I thought he'd handle it better, but now, he hates me, I'm sure of it," Sydney wailed as a fresh round of tears started. "I thought I was doing the right thing, and I ruined everything!"

"Oh, Syd!" Alex hugged her friend. "I'm sure he does not hate you. I think he's probably feeling pretty blindsided right now and it's taking him a good bit to wrap his head around things, but I'm sure he does not hate you."

"He told me to get out, Alex. I didn't even put on my shoes," Sydney sniffled and wiped at her eyes with a wadded-up ball of tissues.

"Well, if anything, your timing probably wasn't the best. But Gage hasn't been the most rational person these last few years. Just give him a little space and a little time. He'll come around."

"I hope he comes around soon. Bobbie's leaving this week. I'm going to have to work with him and if he's still mad at me, it's going to be hell," Sydney buried her head in her hands, regretting her hastiness at getting her old job back.

"It'll all be okay, Syd. I know it will."

Sydney gave her friend a weak smile. She hoped Alex was right.

* * *

Gage and Bobbie Hunt sat in an unmarked car in an alley facing the free-standing ATM outside the Bank of Texas. Across town, Sydney and Trivette were staked out in a parking lot across from a Wells Fargo ATM. There had been a recent rash of hits on free-standing ATMs while they were being serviced and the possibility of the next hit had been narrowed down to one of these two locations. Walker stayed behind at the office, in contact with the banks and the armored car companies so he could relay any new information to his team.

Gage was in a bad mood. He was also hung over, which made his bad mood even worse. He was almost hoping for a hit on the ATM they were watching so he might have the chance to punch a suspect for resisting arrest. Punching somebody or something was about the only thing that might improve his mood. They were parked facing directly into the sun, which was making his already-pounding headache even worse. He reached over and pulled Bobbie's very feminine-looking sunglasses off her face and put them on.

"You're welcome," Bobbie cracked. She looked at Gage in her oversize-framed glasses and laughed. "Oh, you look so cute!"

Gage didn't even respond. He just hunkered down lower in the seat, resting his head on the window frame.

"Okay, spill it. What's wrong?" Bobbie asked.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit." Bobbie countered.

"Why do you think something's wrong?" Gage asked without turning his head to look at his partner. He was sure any kind of movement would make his head explode.

"Because I'm sitting here with two breakfast burritos and you haven't even tried to steal one of them," Bobbie pointed out. She picked an unopened burrito out of the bag and dropped it on Gage's lap. Gage's stomach did a slow roll and without looking at it or Bobbie, he picked it up and handed it back to her.

"Now I know there's a problem. Do you need me to call an ambulance? You must be knocking on death's door if you turned down food," Bobbie joked. "Seriously, Gage, what's wrong?"

Gage took a deep breath, trying to settle his jangled nerves and churning stomach. "Syd. That's what's wrong. She goes to El Paso, gets married, loses a baby, gets divorced, comes back here, turns my whole damn life upside down…"

"Wow," Bobbie whistled. "That's a lot."

"That's not the best part," Gage gave a sarcastic laugh. "She was pregnant when she left. She lost that baby - our baby - too. Not only did she not tell me about it until this weekend, she told me she didn't know she was pregnant. Said she didn't know it until she had the miscarriage. How the hell could she not have known?"

"Well, I didn't know I was pregnant with my girl until almost two months in. I thought I had food poisoning, and then I thought I had a stomach virus," Bobbie said thoughtfully, recalling her own pregnancy.

"You mean you believe her?" Gage looked at Bobbie incredulously, sliding her sunglasses down his nose to get a better look at her expression to be sure she wasn't teasing him.

"Yes, I do. You know, Gage, female biology can be a pretty complicated thing. If she didn't have a regular cycle to begin with or depending on what kind of birth control she was using, if she was using any at all, she may not have known early on."

Gage squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. This was not a topic he wanted to discuss with Bobbie Hunt, at least not in so much detail. All he cared to know about female biology was what parts fit his parts, and as he thought back to the weekend's events, he remembered that Sydney's parts and his parts fit together amazingly. That gave him another reason to squirm uncomfortably in his seat.

 _And yet, two seconds ago, you were still all kinds of flaming pissed at Syd._

"You know, Gage, you shouldn't be too hard on her. I imagine she's probably beat herself up pretty hard over losing two babies. She may not be able to have kids. That's a rough thing for a woman to deal with."

Gage handed Bobbie's sunglasses back to her and rubbed his eyes. He thought hard about what Bobbie said and suddenly felt pretty foolish for the way he acted. Syd had tried to tell him something important and he kicked her out of his apartment.

 _Add another gold to the medal count in the ol' fuck-up Olympics, there, partner._

"I guess I just don't understand her coming back here after five years," Gage said, picking idly at a loose thread along the seam of his jeans.

"Gage, you're totally missing the point," Bobbie replied sympathetically.

"Which is?" Gage didn't understand what she meant.

"Which is that after five years she came back here. She came back. Of all the places she could have gone, she picked Dallas. Knowing you were here, she picked Dallas. Think about that. That means something. What you do with it is up to you, but it means something." Bobbie smiled and held the unopened burrito out to Gage. "Sure you don't want this?" she asked.

Gage took the offered burrito, unwrapped it and took a bite. His stomach had settled and he was feeling a little bit better. Why was it that all the women he knew always seemed to make so damn much sense, he wondered.

* * *

Across town, Sydney and Trivette sat in a parking lot and waited and watched for something to happen. Trivette dozed on and off. The twins had colic and had kept him and Erika up for the last two nights. When one twin would stop crying, the other would start. Sydney let him nap; as long as things stayed quiet on their side, it might be the best sleep he got for a while.

Trivette's cell phone rang, jolting him awake and startling Sydney. It was Walker. He had just gotten a call from Captain Phillips from Company E in El Paso and he needed to speak to Sydney immediately. Walker needed Trivette to bring Sydney back to headquarters.

"I wonder what that's all about," Sydney mused. "I made sure everything was taken care of before I left, and I can't think of any open cases that somebody else in the department wouldn't be able to handle."

"Walker said it was important, that's all I know. He didn't even want us to wait for anyone else to relieve us here," Trivette replied.

Sydney grimaced. That couldn't be good. She tried to think of all the reasons why Captain Phillips would need to speak to her so urgently. With a sick feeling, she realized there was only one reason, and its name was Scott Weatherton.

Sydney had never prayed so hard in her life.

* * *

Sydney was shaking when she walked into Walker's office and sat down.

"Captain Phillips needed to talk to me?"

"Yes," Walker began. "Sydney, did you know a Kristine Conley when you lived in El Paso?" Walker dialed Captain Phillips' office and was placed on hold. Walker put the phone on speaker and the on-hold music played in the background while Sydney answered.

"I did, yes. She was the coroner's assistant. We worked together a lot. We got to be good friends."

"I'm sorry to break this to you, Sydney," Walker spoke gently, "but Ms. Conley was found in her apartment this morning. She was beaten to death."

Sydney gasped at the horrific news.

"Why did Captain Phillips need to talk to me?" Sydney choked back the tears. Oh, Kristine, she thought. You didn't deserve this.

"Well, he wanted to know If you might have any idea on who might have wanted to hurt Kristine. And they found something strange. A page with your phone number was torn out of what appeared to be Kristine's address book. It was found stuck to a wall with a kitchen knife."

A chill ran down Sydney's spine. She had a bad feeling about who might have done this to Kristine and why.

Captain Phillips' loud voice boomed over the speaker. "Hello, Captain Walker, Sydney. Thank you for getting back to me so soon. I take it Captain Walker has filled you in on the bad news?"

"Yes, Captain Phillips, he has."

"Such a terrible loss. She was such a wonderful asset to the coroner's office. Do you have any idea of who might have targeted her?"

"No, Captain. I don't. Kristine didn't have an enemy in the world," Sydney replied. She didn't, Sydney thought, but I do.

"And he told you that we found a page with your phone number?" The captain read off a number. "That is your number, correct?"

It was. That was my old cell phone number."

"Does the condition we found that page have any significance to you? Do you think somebody may be targeting you?"

"I really don't know, Captain. I don't know how anyone would be able to use that number to target me. I lost that phone when I was traveling home. I ended up getting a new cell phone in New Mexico. They just gave me a new number at the time. "

"When was the last time you talked to Kristine?"

"It was right after I left to move home."

"Did she seem worried about anything or anyone?"

"No, no, not at all. She was talking about her vacation, and everything seemed fine. Captain Phillips, what have you found in the way of evidence besides my phone number with a knife through it?"

"We've pulled the surveillance video from her apartment building and we've taken DNA samples, fingerprints, the usual. They're still analyzing the crime scene. Whoever did this made a mess of her apartment. Seems like they were looking for something."

"Do you think it could have been tied to a case she was working on?" Walker asked

"Who knows at this point, Walker. It could be tied to a case, it could be anything. I'm just sick that it happened. She was a good girl. Sydney, Walker, thank you for getting back to me. I appreciate it. And Sydney?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"You watch your step out there, just in case. I'm sure it's nothing, and you're all the way over there in East Texas, but still. You be careful."

"I will, Captain. Would you please keep me posted on what you find out?

"I'll do that."

The phone clicked as Captain Phillips hung up.

* * *

Sydney sat at her desk shaking. She felt sick to her stomach. She was certain that Scott was the one who had killed Kristine, and she was sure it was because of her. Had he gone to Kristine's apartment looking for her? Had he thought Kristine would tell him where to find her? She hadn't told Kristine where she was going – all she told her was that she was going to visit family.

Her computer beeped with a notification that she had a new email. She clicked it open to see a message from Captain Phillips.

 _Sydney – I normally wouldn't send this information out, but I thought you'd want to be included. No matches on fingerprints. Should have some information from surveillance video later today or tomorrow. Pictures attached from scene._

Sydney opened up the pictures Captain Phillips had sent. Each picture showed a different scene from Kristine's apartment, and from each picture, it was obvious that whoever had killed her had been searching her apartment for something. Drawers had been emptied, the contents dumped on the floor. Furniture had been overturned. Books and pictures had been torn from shelves.

"Wow, looks like somebody meant business," Bobbie said, looking over Sydney's shoulder at the pictures on Sydney's computer screen. She and Gage had returned from their stakeout after having no luck.

"Yeah. This is my friend's apartment out in El Paso. They found her dead this morning."

"Oh, Syd, I am so sorry. Do they have any leads?"

"Nothing yet." Sydney rested her head in her hands. "I feel so awful."

* * *

Sydney spent the next few hours trying to get the horrible images from Kristine's apartment out of her mind. She was deep in thought and jumped when the door to the Company B offices opened and a delivery driver walked in with a large bouquet of flowers.

"How nice!" Bobbie exclaimed. "You guys got me flowers as a going-away present!"

Gage looked at Trivette and shrugged and shook his head.

"The way I see it, she should have sent us flowers for putting up with her, right, Gage?" Trivette quipped.

"Is there a Sydney Cooke here?" the delivery man asked.

"That's me," Sydney stood up.

The delivery man handed her the vase of yellow roses and daisies and wished her a good day. Sydney looked over at Gage, certain that he had sent her the flowers as an apology, but Gage was focused on a file on his desk. Sydney plucked the card from the bouquet and flipped it open.

 _I told you I would find you._

Sydney felt her heart rise into her throat. The vase of flowers fell to the floor with a crash, covering the floor with water, shattered glass, and broken flowers.

"I guess she didn't like the flowers?" Trivette cracked.

"Syd? Syd, what's wrong?" Gage asked, but Sydney was already gone, out the doors of ranger headquarters.

Bobbie knelt and started gathering up flowers and broken glass, dropping them into the trash can by Sydney's desk. She picked up the card and shook the water from it, opening it up to read the note inside.

"Oh, dear God," she whispered to herself. "Gage? What did Sydney ever tell you about her ex-husband?" Bobbie asked, staring at the writing in the card, the ink spreading on the water-soaked paper.

"Not a damn thing" Gage answered. "Why?"

Bobbie held the card out to him. Gage took it from her and read it. "I don't get it."

"I spent years hiding from my ex, Gage," Bobbie explained. "He was angry and abusive and dangerous. This," Bobbie took the card and waved it in front of Gage's face, "this is exactly something he would have said to me."

Gage looked at Bobbie and back at the card. He jumped up and ran to the doors of ranger headquarters.

"Syd? Syd!" He called down the hallway.

Gage heard the familiar ding of the elevator and then a scream. He turned just in time to see Sydney being pulled into the elevator by a tall, dark-haired man. Gage recognized the man from the save the date card Alex had dropped on the courthouse steps years ago.

The man was Scott Weatherton.


	7. Chapter 7

The sound of Sydney's scream brought Trivette and Bobbie running out to the hallway to where Gage was standing. The look of absolute terror in Sydney's eyes just before the elevator door closed had Gage nearly paralyzed with fear.

I should have apologized to her, he thought. As soon as I got back, I should have said something, and I didn't. She didn't even look at me when I walked in. The headache he thought had gone away since earlier that morning was slowly building again.

 _Ladies and gentlemen, the gold medal goes to…_

Yeah, yeah, Gage thought, shutting up the voice before it went any further. I know. Don't tell me. I fucked up. Again.

"What happened?" Bobbie asked, "Where's Sydney?"

"Her ex has her! Trivette, get Walker. I don't know if they were going up or down, so we need to check every floor. I'm going to try to catch them before they leave the building." Gage was already on his way to the stairwell, barking orders over his shoulder.

"Right behind you!" Bobbie shouted, but then an idea hit her. She ran back into ranger headquarters and dialed the number for building security. As soon as somebody answered, she demanded they station somebody at the building's entrance to watch for anyone fitting Sydney's description and not let her or the man she was with leave the building until she or Gage got there. She then ran to catch up to her partner downstairs.

Trivette and Walker headed upstairs, checking each floor. Each of the upstairs floors were clear, so Walker checked the roof. It too, was clear. They headed back downstairs to help Gage and Bobbie check the lower floors.

* * *

All Sydney could think of when she ran out of the Company B offices was that she needed to get far, far away. Scott knew she was there and she had to find someplace to go where he couldn't find her. When she got to the elevator at the end of the hall, she was in a panic. She knew she should probably tell somebody what was wrong, but there was no time. Scott knew she was in that building and she had to get out. There were more places to go, more places to hide outside than there were inside.

The elevator bell rang cheerfully as it reached the floor that held Ranger Headquarters. The doors parted silently, revealing Sydney's darkest nightmare.

"Hello, Sydney. Nice to see you again," Scott Weatherton gave his ex-wife a chilling smile. Sydney screamed as he grabbed her by the arm, twisting it behind her, and dragged her into the elevator. He jabbed at the elevator buttons as Sydney struggled to free herself before the elevator doors closed.

"Let go of me!" Sydney hissed, struggling harder.

"Now, now. Just settle down." Scott jerked Sydney's arm hard behind her back, causing her to wince in pain. He pulled Sydney's service weapon from the holster at her hip. "You won't be needing this," he said, jamming the gun's barrel hard into her ribs. "Just make sure I don't need it, either."

"What are you doing here?" Sydney asked through gritted teeth.

"Sydney, Sydney…. What a silly question. Haven't you had enough of this running around? I came to take you home," Scott answered coolly. Just then the elevator rocked to a stop. Scott jabbed at more of the buttons, but nothing happened. "What the fuck?" he growled.

Sydney's heart sank. Being stuck in an elevator with Scott Weatherton was quite possibly the worst thing that could happen.

"Well, looks like we're stuck, sweetheart," Scott snarled. "We ought to make the best of it." Keeping the gun firmly planted in Sydney's side, he released her arm and grabbed her by the throat. Turning her head to him, he kissed her, trying to work his tongue between her tightly closed lips.

"Oh, now, come on, Sydney. Be a good wife and kiss your husband."

"I am not your wife," Sydney spat. "I divorced you."

"I know. And I see you moved on. Yeah. I was sitting in the parking lot at that fancy little club Saturday night when you left with that tall blond guy. Who is he? Football player? That was quite the dress you had on. Didn't leave a damn thing to the imagination, now, did it? I followed you home, Sydney, or was that his place? Interesting little scene the next morning; you leaving barefoot, your hair all a mess." Scott laughed, and then stopped suddenly and slapped Sydney across the face. "What a little whore you are."

Sydney backed into the corner of the elevator, her face stinging from the hard slap. She felt sick knowing that Scott was there outside of Frank's the night of Walker and Captain Briscoe's party and that he had to have followed them home to Gage's apartment. The idea of him being outside waiting while she was inside, in Gage's arms, made her stomach roil in disgust.

"I give you credit, Sydney, you thought of everything. You changed your phone number, moved across the state, dropped your married name. You even cut your hair so I wouldn't recognize you," Scott took a couple steps toward her and ran his free hand through Sydney's bobbed hair. "It didn't work, I still recognized you," he laughed, giving her hair a hard tug.

Scott sat down on the elevator floor and tugged Sydney down hard next to him. "Have a seat, darling. I think we may be here for awhile." He kept her right arm twisted tight behind her back while he curled his free arm around Sydney's neck, holding the barrel of the Smith & Wesson just under Sydney's chin. Sydney's heart pounded in her throat.

"How did you find me?" Sydney asked. Her voice just above a whisper.

"Well, now. That took some doing. See, your friend Kristine wasn't much help when I went to see her last Friday. She didn't seem to know anything about where you went, other than you 'went to visit family.' You and I both know that was a lie. She didn't even have a working phone number for you. Seems you just didn't do a very good job of keeping in touch with her, did you? Poor Kristine. After all she did for you, fixing us up. You just weren't a very good friend to her. And now she's dead."

"You killed her, didn't you?"

"Well, let's just say it was an unfortunate accident. Things happen. I searched that apartment high and low for some kind of hint as to where you went. A card, a letter, anything. And just when I was ready to give up, there it was, staring me in the face. A picture from our wedding. You remember our wedding, don't you, Sydney? It was sitting right there on the shelf. You and I and your friends from Dallas. So I decided to start at the very beginning. Your beginning, that is. I hopped a plane. I always heard Dallas was beautiful this time of year. I figured I'd work out the rest of the details once I got here. But I got lucky. I was sitting in a coffee shop Saturday afternoon, flipping through a newspaper somebody had left behind and I found a very interesting little story about a party being held for a Captain Walker and a Captain Briscoe. And I remembered Walker was one of your friends at our wedding. I thought I'd go check it out. Of course, I wasn't on the guest list, but I had a front row seat out there in the parking lot. The rest, as they say, is history. By the way, I hope you liked the flowers. Yellow roses always were your favorite."

"You are an evil man, Scott Weatherton," Sydney seethed.

"No. Not evil. I just have different ways of getting what I want. And I always get what I want." Scott let go of her arm long enough to run his hand along Sydney's cheek. Sydney froze, steeling herself for the impact of the slap she was sure was coming, but never did. Scott laughed.

* * *

Gage and Bobbie got to the first floor and, after finding out from the security guard who was watching the front doors that nobody fitting Sydney or Scott's description had tried to leave, started checking room by room. Gage noticed that a small crowd had gathered at the elevator and that the floor indicator light above the elevator doors wasn't lit. He pressed the elevator's call buttons, but nothing happened.

"Shit," he hissed, slamming his hand against the elevator's closed doors.

"What's wrong?" Bobbie asked.

"The elevator. I think it's stuck or he stopped it. She's stuck in the elevator with him."

Bobbie said a silent prayer. Being trapped in an elevator with an angry, abusive ex was the stuff horror movies were made of. She ran back to the building's front doors to find the security guard she and Gage had just spoken to. He told her that they were aware that the elevators were down and that maintenance was working on fixing the problem.

"They need to work faster," Bobbie cried. "This is an emergency!"

"I'm sure it is, ma'am," the guard replied nonchalantly, annoyed at being ordered around and having to babysit the front door.

"It is! It's life or death!" Bobbie was terrified for Sydney and what could be going on behind the elevator's closed doors. She ran back to meet Gage and found Walker and Trivette with him. They were planning on splitting up and re-checking the building's floors and other exits when the elevator whirred back to life.

"Gage, look!" Bobbie pointed to the lights above the elevator door that had just flashed, indicating that the elevator was stopped on the second floor and would be heading up.

Gage ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time for the second floor.

* * *

Sydney's legs were cramping from sitting on the elevator floor. Every time she tried to move, Scott would jerk her arm tighter behind her and push the gun harder under her chin.

"Scott, please, let me stand up. My legs are falling asleep. It's not like I can go anywhere," Sydney pleaded.

"No, you just stay right where you are."

"Scott, please, I can't feel my legs."

Scott let out an annoyed sigh. "All right, damn it." He stood and yanked Sydney hard to her feet. At the same time, the elevator jerked to a start, throwing Sydney off balance and causing her to fall, pulling Scott down with her. The gun clattered across the elevator floor, just out of Sydney's reach. Sydney struggled to her knees, stretching to reach the gun before Scott could get to it.

Sydney felt herself crash against metal as Scott pulled her backwards, heaving her hard against the elevator doors. The blinding pain that radiated from the back of her head was instant, and Sydney struggled against the blackness that threatened to overtake her.

"Damn it, Sydney. Look what you did." Scott pulled her up and Sydney pitched from side to side, trying to find her feet. "What did you have to do that for?" Sydney's eyes opened just in time to see Scott's raised fist. She flinched, bracing for impact, but the elevator doors opened and Scott pushed her out into the hallway instead.

"Act normal," he growled in her ear as he shoved her along the corridor, rushing her along. Scott noticed an arrow that pointed to a side door about halfway down the hall. A sign above the arrow noted that it led to the parking garage walkway. He steered Sydney toward the door and out to the parking garage.

* * *

Gage opened the door to the second floor cautiously. Bobbie was close behind him. He nodded an all clear to her and they stepped out into the hall. The elevator lights flashed an indication that it was moving on to its next destination. Gage was just about to curse in frustration when they heard a door slam in the hallway ahead of them. They both saw the sign for the parking garage and ran toward it.

They crossed the walkway from the courthouse into the parking garage and looked around, listening carefully for any sign of movement.

"Where next?" Bobbie asked breathlessly.

Gage looked around the vast concrete structure once again. "You go up, I'll go down."

They both headed off in opposite directions, looking and listening for any sign of Sydney and Scott, hoping they were on the right path, and praying they wouldn't be too late.

As Gage walked along the rows of cars, he couldn't help thinking again that he should have apologized to Sydney as soon as he got back to headquarters that morning. All he wanted to do was hold her and tell her he was sorry and that he believed her now. That was the first thing he was going to do when he saw her; hold her and apologize for flipping out and being an ass.

 _That's going to be a long conversation._

That's okay, he thought. I plan on keeping her around for a long time

* * *

Scott pulled Sydney along through the parking garage, working his way toward the exit to where his rental car was parked on the street. Despite his orders to move faster, Sydney was dragging her feet and it was frustrating him. Sydney wasn't doing it on purpose; her head was pounding from getting slammed against the elevator doors and she was dizzy. Every time she tried to keep up the pace Scott wanted, she nearly fell over.

"God damn it, Sydney. We gotta move, now keep up," Scott shoved her ahead of him and Sydney fell to her knees, scraping her hands as she tried to catch herself. Scott grabbed Sydney by the hair and yanked her to her feet, pulling out a handful of her dark hair in the process. Sydney screamed in pain. Scott clamped his hand hard over her nose and mouth. "For shit's sake, woman, shut up! Shut up or I will shut you up." He poked the barrel of the Smith & Wesson hard into her ribs. "Got it?" Sydney nodded, struggling to breathe. Scott took his hand away and she gasped for air. "Now move. " Scott pushed her along.

A car came up behind them and Scott slowed their pace, tucking the gun into his waistband and pulling his shirt over it. "Act normal," he admonished.

Once the car passed, Scott started looking into car windows. "What are you looking for?" Sydney asked

"We need to hustle, because, quite frankly, you aren't moving quick enough, and it's pissing me off." Scott snarled. "We need to find a car."

"So you're going to steal a car. You're going to add grand theft auto and kidnapping on top of assault and murder?"

Scott jerked Sydney around to face him, backhanding her across the mouth. Sydney tasted blood, felt it trickling down her chin. Scott pulled the gun back out of his waistband and jammed it into her stomach. "So what if I do? You say one more word and you'll get more than the back of my hand, got it?"

Sydney nodded.

They walked along through the parking garage, Scott checking cars. "God damn!" he muttered. "Doesn't anyone drive a stick shift anymore?" He stopped to look in the window of a car, holding his hand with the gun above his eyes to block the glare. He was holding Sydney close enough that with her arm twisted behind her back, she could just stretch her forefinger and thumb and reach his stomach. She pinched down hard, digging her nails deep into soft flesh.

Scott jumped and screeched like a wounded animal, struggling to pull away from Sydney's grasp. The more he struggled, the harder Sydney pinched and pulled, trying to rip through his skin. Scott flailed with his free hand, hitting the car's window and setting off the car alarm. Sydney took advantage of his surprise and spun herself around so that her arm was no longer twisted behind her back. She grabbed his wrist and slammed the back of his hand against the side of the car, causing him to drop the gun. Sydney kicked it under the car as a wave of dizziness hit her hard and she fought to stay on her feet.

"You rotten little bitch," Scott growled, slamming his fist hard into the side of Sydney's face. Sydney fell against the side of the car and fought for consciousness.

* * *

Gage heard a scream and a car alarm going off on the level below him and took off running. He rounded the corner in time to see Scott Weatherton slam Sydney against the side of a parked car.

Sydney fought to hold on to the hood of the car and get her feet underneath her, but it seemed her legs just didn't want to work anymore. She was so dizzy. Scott jerked her around so she was facing him and delivered another backhand across her face. Sydney fell to the concrete floor in a crumpled heap.

"Texas Ranger! Stop!" Gage yelled as he ran toward Sydney and Scott. He grabbed Scott by the shoulders and threw him to the ground, then picked him up by the collar and punched him hard in the face. "How do you like it?" Gage snarled, "Tell me, how do you like it?" he asked again. Scott fought back, throwing Gage off of him. The two men circled each other, throwing punches and kicks.

Bobbie heard the car alarm and commotion and ran the stairs down to the level where Gage had found Scott and Sydney. On the way, she called Trivette on his cell phone, letting him know that they were in the parking garage and Sydney had been found.

Bobbie found Gage straddling a bloody Scott Weatherton, pummeling him. She grabbed hold of Gage's arm in mid-punch. "Gage, stop it! Stop! You're going to kill him!"

"That's the idea," Gage growled, but he let Bobbie pull him away from Scott, who lay on the garage floor. Bobbie ordered him to roll over and quickly cuffed him and then turned her attention to Sydney.

Bobbie sat Sydney up and surveyed the damage to her face. Gage took one look at Sydney's battered body and felt instantly sick. He dropped to his knees beside her and tried to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but Sydney pushed him away, shaking her head. Gage's heart sank. He stood up and walked several steps away, not sure of what he should do next.

Sydney wiped the back of her hand across her bloodied lip and then looked her hand. When she saw the blood, and how much there was, she became hysterical. Bobbie knelt beside her and hugged her, comforting her.

"I know, honey. I know. You're going to be okay." Bobbie shrugged off her denim shirt and pulled the camisole she was wearing underneath it over her head. She wadded it up and held it against Sydney's bloody nose and lip.

Bobbie looked up and saw Gage staring, his mouth open in shock. "Don't just stand there, come here and give me a hand." Gage looked puzzled, but he knelt down across from Bobbie. "Hold this right here, just for a second," she said, grabbing Gage's hand and holding it against the balled up shirt. She slipped the denim shirt back on and quickly buttoned it, giving Gage a 'what are you staring at?' look.

 _The things you never expect to see on this job. This morning she was explaining female biology, this afternoon, she's topless. On any other day, that would be pretty damned amazing._

"You've done this before?" Gage asked.

"I've been here before," Bobbie replied. "My ex beat the hell out of me quite a few times. I'm just doing what I wished somebody had done for me."

Gage looked at Bobbie with surprise. He was still trying to reconcile the idea of his spunky partner being in an abusive relationship when Walker and Trivette arrived. He and Bobbie quickly filled them in on what happened.

Walker shook his head. "I had no idea she was in so much danger."

"Neither did I, Walker," Gage ran a hand through his blond hair, "If she would have said something to me, to any of us, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"Sydney is very independent. I'm sure she thought she could handle this on her own, Gage. Right now, let's get them both back to headquarters. Trivette, let's take him to interrogation and see what he has to say for himself. Bobbie, you and Gage see about getting Sydney to the emergency room and having her checked out."

* * *

Before Sydney would go to the emergency room, she insisted on talking to Walker. She wanted to let him know that Scott had confessed to her that he had killed Kristine. Then, she insisted on talking to Alex. She wanted Alex to take a videotaped statement of what had happened. Alex, Bobbie, and Sydney sat in one of the interrogation rooms equipped with a video camera while Sydney recounted everything that had happened that day. She was surprisingly calm, occasionally wiping a tear from her battered face.

Trivette and Walker took Scott to an interrogation room just two doors down. They were trying to get him to admit again what he had told Sydney; that he had gone to Kristine's apartment to find out where Sydney was, and in the process, he had ended up killing her.

Gage paced the hallway between the two rooms like a caged tiger. He was torn between wanting to tear Scott Weatherton's head off and wanting to break the door down to the room Sydney was in, carry her out of there and take her far away and promise to keep her safe from everything forever. He could feel his pulse pounding behind his temples as he watched what was going on through the windows of both rooms.

 _It's a helpless feeling being on this side of those windows, isn't it?_

Walker and Trivette looked like they were getting nowhere. Scott Weatherton was refusing to talk. Sydney had just finished her statement and Bobbie and Alex were both gathered around her, hugging and consoling her. Gage knocked on the door of Sydney's room before opening it. Gage could hear Sydney crying and it broke his heart to know she was hurting so badly, both physically and emotionally, especially when he knew he had a hand in some of her emotional pain lately.

Before he could get inside the door, Bobbie was there, positioning herself between Gage and Sydney with all the protectiveness of a mother bear.

"This really isn't a good time, Gage."

"Come on, Hunt, let me talk to her. I need to apologize to her for being a world-class ass yesterday. I have to let her know I believe her about the baby."

Bobbie pushed him out of the room and closed the door behind them. "I know you mean well, Gage, but that's really the last thing on her mind right now. I just heard what she went through. She needs a little bit of time to deal with all this before you go easing your conscience," Bobbie said firmly but kindly.

"I just don't want her to think – " Gage started.

"Gage, you love her. I know that. And I think she loves you, too. If you love her, the best thing you can do right now is be there for her while she gets through this because she's going to need you. You can work everything else out later," Bobbie reached out and took Gage's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Can you do that?" she asked.

 _There she goes, making sense again._

"Yeah," Gage replied. "Yeah, I can do that."

The interrogation room door opened and Alex poked her head out. "She's ready to go," Alex said to both Bobbie and Gage. "I'm taking her to Methodist." Alex disappeared back into the room to gather Sydney to leave for the emergency room.

"Come on," Bobbie nodded her head toward the door. "It's been a long day. You can drive." Gage followed her down the hall and out of the building to his car.


	8. Chapter 8

Gage sat in the emergency waiting room with Bobbie and Alex, waiting for word on Sydney's condition. He sat for a while, he paced for a while; the whole time his mind filled with the horrible images of Sydney's bloody and bruised face, of Scott Weatherton hitting her, of her collapsing on the concrete floor of the parking garage.

Alex handed him a cup of hot coffee. "You know, you're going to wear a groove into the floor if you don't sit down and try to relax."

"Thanks, Alex," Gage took a sip of the hot liquid. "I can't relax. I can't stop thinking that if I had only known, this never would have happened."

"We all feel that way, Gage," Alex said sadly. "But we have to remember that Scott is in custody, we have Sydney's statement on video, and he also confessed to her that he killed her friend. I'd say he's going away for a very long time and he won't ever hurt Sydney again."

"He shouldn't have hurt her in the first place," Gage replied hoarsely. "I should have made sure of that. Damn it, why didn't she tell me?" Gage sat down on one of the hard plastic chairs and dropped his head into his hands. "I know I gave her a pretty rough time after she got back, but she had to have known she could have come to me about this."

The double doors to the emergency room swung open slowly and a young, brunette doctor in heavy-framed glasses and a long ponytail walked out. "Are you with Ranger Cooke?" she asked, motioning to their small group.

"Yes," Alex stood. "I'm Assistant DA Alex Cahill-Walker and these are her co-workers, Rangers Gage and Hunt."

The young doctor extended her hand to Alex. "I'm Dr. Elizabeth Allbritton. I just wanted to let you know that we're moving Ranger Cooke to a room. She's sustained a severe concussion and we'd like to keep her at least overnight for observation. Once we get her settled, you can see her and another doctor will be in to discuss her other injuries with you."

"Other injuries?" Alex asked.

"The facial injuries," the doctor replied. "And she has a few fractured ribs as well. None of her injuries are life-threatening, but they will require attention and treatment. She was very lucky. Not all domestic violence victims fare so well."

Gage drew a ragged breath. Hearing the doctor put it so bluntly – domestic violence victim – felt like a blow to his own ribs. Bobbie moved two chairs over to sit next to him and squeezed his hand. Gage smiled weakly at her.

"She's going to be okay, you know," Bobbie said reassuringly. "You got there just in time."

Gage just nodded. It wasn't the first time he got there just in time. He thought back to the near-miss with the meth lab explosion when he and Sydney went undercover with the Raptors. Just a minute or two later would have changed everything that day. Just a minute or two later could have changed everything today. Gage closed his eyes and tried not to think about it.

 _Don't beat yourself up, son. She's alive because of you. You did good today._

A few minutes later, a nurse's aide came out and escorted the group to Sydney's room on the third floor. Gage thought he was prepared for the worst until he actually saw Sydney. Her tiny frame was dwarfed by the oversized hospital bed, making her look almost childlike. The emergency room staff had cleaned the blood off her face and a piece of gauze was taped over the edge of her lip. The left side of her face was swollen and bruised, swelling her eye shut. Gage gasped when he saw her; the sound woke her up.

"Hey," Sydney said groggily, struggling to sit up, which elicited a howl of pain. "I didn't know there was going to be a party."

"Don't try to move," Alex spoke. "Just rest. We wanted to check on you and we're waiting to see the doctor and see what he has to say."

"Mmm hmm." Sydney mumbled before drifting off to sleep again.

Another doctor walked into the room, this one an older gentleman with gray hair, a round stomach, and a beard. Gage thought he looked a bit like a garden gnome. He introduced himself as Dr. O'Leary and began explaining Sydney's condition and treatment in the emergency room.

"Our girl was very lucky considering what she'd been through," Dr. O'Leary began. "We are doing our best to keep her comfortable and her pain to a minimum. Because she does have a rather severe concussion, that does limit us on the types of pain medication we can give her. She does have several fractured ribs and she's going to be in quite a bit of pain from those. Our main concern there is that she doesn't develop a collapsed lung or pneumonia. She had a very bad cut on her lip. We had our best plastics doctor look at it and he stitched it up. We are confident that once it heals, she should not have any noticeable scarring whatsoever. The eye and facial bones are another matter. We took x-rays and it doesn't appear that there are any new fractures, and we don't believe there is any damage to the eye itself, but we need to wait until the swelling goes down to see just what the damage is and see if there any need for any kind of reconstructive surgery."

"Excuse me, doctor, you said any new fractures?" Alex asked in concern. Sydney stirred in the bed; she was awake again.

"Yes. According to the x-rays, it appears there were a couple of fractures to the orbital bone that were either newly healed or still in the process of healing."

Gage drew a deep breath. He could feel a hot, red rage building inside of him.

"Oh," was the only reply Alex could muster.

"Yes," Dr. O'Leary continued. "We'll need to wait until the swelling goes down to evaluate those fractures and see if there are any others. Swelling, especially to the extent here, can hold a fracture in place so it either doesn't show up or it looks less severe on an x-ray. "

"How long of a recovery period will she have?" Bobbie asked.

"About six weeks for the ribs. The concussion is hard to say. But we will make sure she has the best care possible. She was extremely lucky. Some cases like this, well… She's just a very lucky girl." Dr. O'Leary shook hands with everyone and excused himself.

"Oh my goodness," Alex breathed after he left the room. She moved a chair over next to Sydney's bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"So sleepy," Sydney mumbled. "And thirsty."

"I'll go see about getting you some water," Bobbie jumped up from her chair and headed out into the hall.

Gage leaned against the wall, clenching and unclenching his fists. He kept thinking of what the doctor said about healed and healing fractures. "That wasn't the first time he hit you, was it?" he asked, his voice sounding far-away.

Sydney looked up at him. Gage noticed that the usual light, the usual sparkle in her dark eyes was gone. Her expression was completely flat, lifeless. She turned her head away, burying her bruised face into the pillow. He saw a tear spill from the corner of her eye.

"That son of a bitch," Gage hissed under his breath. He stalked out of the room, nearly running Bobbie over as she returned with a glass and a pitcher of water.

"Where are you going?" Bobbie asked, getting no answer. Bobbie left the water in Sydney's room and ran to catch up with Gage just as he stepped into the elevator. "Where are you going?" she demanded.

"I should have killed him when I had the chance," Gage snarled, pressing the button for the ground floor.

"Gage! Don't! Get back here!" Bobbie shouted, but the elevator doors had already whispered shut.

The surveillance video Captain Phillips from Company E had from Kristine Conley's apartment showed a man entering the building and leaving it a short time later on the same day she was killed, but the video wasn't clear enough to prove if it was Scott Weatherton or not. The district attorney didn't want to rely solely on what Scott had told Sydney, so Captain Phillips wanted Walker to try to get a DNA sample and fingerprints from Scott Weatherton. He also wanted a confession if possible, and Trivette was working on all three. It wasn't going well; at least the confession part of it wasn't.

"Just tell us what you told Ranger Cooke. Tell us what happened when you went to visit Kristine Conley last Friday." Trivette asked again.

"Who says I visited her? I didn't say anything. Sydney's a little liar." Scott Weatherton leaned back in his chair in the interrogation room and clasped his hands behind his head, smirking at Trivette and at Walker, who he knew was standing on the other side of the interrogation room window.

"We have video that places you at the scene," Trivette knew the video wasn't good and wouldn't be admissible in court but he played the card anyhow. "How do you explain that?"

"Video doesn't prove I was there to visit Kristine. I could have visited anyone in that complex," Weatherton retorted.

"We also have your fingerprints and your DNA."

"Whoa, whoa! I never consented to a fucking DNA test. There is no way you got any DNA off of me."

Trivette pulled a tissue from his shirt pocket and carefully unfolded it. "Actually, we did," he said, gingerly picking up the empty water glass that sat on the interrogation room table in front of Weatherton. He dropped it into a plastic evidence bag and opened the door, handing the bag to Walker. Walker left immediately to take the glass to the lab. Captain Phillips wanted the results as soon as possible.

"You can't do that. That's got to be illegal!" Weatherton shouted.

"Not necessarily," it was Trivette's turn to smirk. "So, you want to tell me about that visit to Kristine Conley's apartment? You confess, things go a lot easier for you. You don't, you're looking at life in prison without a chance of parole given what went on here and considering that the DA out there in El Paso is a real hardass from what I've been told. But that's up to you. It's your future, not mine."

Trivette slid a note pad and pen across the table.

"I told you –" Scott Weatherton started to speak when Gage burst into the room, banging the door against the wall so hard that the doorknob left a hole in the plaster. Gage circled the interrogation room table in about three steps, grabbed Weatherton by the collar and dragged him out of the chair and across the room, slamming him hard against the wall. The metal chair Scott had been sitting on crashed to the floor.

"You son of a bitch! How many other times did you hit her, huh? How many?" Gage slammed Scott against the wall again, tightening his hold around Scott's neck.

"Gage! Gage! Hey, man, cool it! Let him go!" Trivette shouted, darting around the table and grabbing his friend by the shoulders, trying to pull him off of Weatherton.

"I want to know, damn it, how many times did you beat her up? Did you get off on that shit, you fucking son of a bitch!" Gage brought his fist back to unload a punch, but Trivette grabbed his arm.

"Come on, man, cool it. Let him go! He's not worth it!" Trivette worked his way in between the two men. He separated them, pushing Gage to the other side of the room and leading Weatherton back to his seat at the table.

"I'm not saying a word until my attorney gets here," Weatherton hissed, "and you better believe he's going to hear about this." He stared down Gage as he spoke.

"Gage, you better get out of here," Trivette clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a gentle push toward the door.

* * *

On the way back to the hospital, the realization of what he had just done hit Gage like a freight train.

 _Are you a praying man, son? You better pray his attorney wasn't the smartest one in his class, because you may have just handed Scott Weatherton a 'get out of jail free' card._

Gage thought about making a stop at CD's first. His head was pounding and after the day he had, a couple of longnecks would really hit the spot. He knew he couldn't do that, though. He needed to see Sydney. He needed to hold her and apologize to her and let her know that from here on out, he was going to make damn sure that she didn't have to spend one second of her life in fear of Scott Weatherton, no matter what it took.

When Gage got to Sydney's room, Alex and Bobbie had already left and Sydney was sleeping. Gage sat down in the chair beside her bed and picked up her hand, holding it between both of his. He looked at her bruised face and swollen-shut eye and pressed her hand to his cheek. It was then that he realized that he was crying.

"Oh, Syd," he whispered. "Baby, I am so, so sorry. I created this mess. Way back five years ago when we had that fight. I created this whole mess. If I wouldn't have been so stubborn, you wouldn't have left. You would have stayed here and had our baby. You wouldn't have gone to El Paso. You never would have heard of Scott Weatherton, and he never would have hurt you. It's all my fault that all this happened and I am so, so sorry." Gage kissed the back of her hand and placed it gently back on the bed. Burying his face in his own hands, he broke down, letting out all the hurt and pain he had carried around for the last five years.

Several hours later, Sydney woke up. She saw somebody slouched in the chair next to the bed, and it startled her. She jumped, sending a wave of pain through her side and her head. She wailed in response. Gage woke with a start.

"Syd! Are you okay?"

Sydney sighed in relief when she realized it was Gage and not Scott who was in the chair beside the bed. "Yeah. I'm good," she gave Gage a weak smile. "What time is it?"

Gage looked at his watch. "It's a little after two in the morning."

"Oh. Figures. I'm not very sleepy." Sydney yawned in spite of herself.

"Well, you should try to sleep. You need to rest. You've been through a lot."

"Yeah. I suppose I owe you a really huge explanation," Sydney's voice was tinged with a deep sadness.

"Well, I do have a few questions, but we can talk about that later." Gage took Sydney's hand, running his thumb in circles on her palm. "I have to tell you, Syd. I am so, so sorry about everything Sunday morning. I'm sorry you lost our baby. I'm sorry I was such a prick about it. I believe you, and I'm sorry. I was wanting to tell you all day, and all this… this craziness happened, and I just wanted you to know."

Sydney smiled up at him as best she could with the gauze taped to her lip. "I forgive you." Her eyelids started to flutter shut with sleep. "Gage?"

"What, Syd?"

"I'm so sorry I lost our baby," Sydney's words were heavy with sleep.

"It's okay. It's okay, baby." Gage brushed a kiss across Sydney's forehead as she fell back to sleep. Gage watched her sleep until he, too, was asleep, slouched in the chair next to her, holding her hand.

* * *

Gage's cell phone rang the next morning, jolting him out of a sound sleep. He hurried to answer it before it woke Sydney. Gage looked at the display on the phone. Walker. Crap. He was late to work.

"Yeah, Walker?"

"Gage, I know you're probably at the hospital, but I need you to come in. Now. "

"Sure. I'll be there just as soon as I can."

 _That didn't sound good._

Gage had to agree. Walker usually gave him a good ribbing if he was late to work. He didn't do that this time. Walker didn't sound like he was in a ribbing sort of mood. He sounded, well to be honest, he sounded pissed.

Gage walked in to Ranger Headquarters with a feeling of dread. "Walker's waiting for you, man," Trivette said, motioning toward Walker's office. Gage knocked on the door.

"Come in, Gage," Walker invited. Gage let himself in and sat down across from Walker.

"Want to tell me what that little stunt in the interrogation room was all about yesterday?"

"Walker, I'm really sorry. I was just so upset over what he did to Syd and then I found out that he'd done it before, and I let my emotions get the best of me. I am really sorry." Gage answered remorsefully.

"You do realize that you probably put this whole case in jeopardy? If Scott's attorney decides to pursue this, and he'd be crazy not to, Scott not only walks on murder charges in El Paso, but he walks on assault and battery charges here. Which means he's back out on the streets and Sydney is in danger all over again," Walker's voice was stern.

Not if I can help it, Gage thought. "Yes, sir. I realize that. I did something incredibly stupid. Walker, when I found out he'd hit her before, I just, I don't know, I guess I just wanted some kind of justice for her. If you saw the way he was beating on her, if you could see what he did to her, her face…"

"Gage, we all want justice for Sydney. But that's not our job. It's our job to bring the bad guys to justice. It's up to Alex and the DA and the judge and jury to make sure justice is handed out. Not you. No matter how you feel about Sydney."

Gage just nodded. He knew Walker was right.

"I hate to do this, Gage, since we're going to be short-handed with Bobbie leaving and Sydney hurt, but I don't have a lot of choice. I'm going to have to suspend you."

"Suspend me! Oh, come on, Walker!" Gage was suddenly on the edge of his seat.

"Only three days. But this way you won't have to go in front of the review board. Trust me. It's a better deal."

Gage took a deep breath and shook his head. "So what's that look like on my file?"

"Don't worry too much about it, Gage. I know why you did it. If it were Alex, I would have probably done the same thing. I have your back. You can use the time off to help Sydney," Walker smiled.

Walker was right. Explaining his actions to the review board would not have been good. Or fun. And it likely would not have had a good outcome. No, he'd take the three days and spend them with Sydney, as long as she'd have him around. If he had to be suspended, he couldn't think of a better way to do it.

"Thanks, Walker," Gage replied gratefully as he stood to leave. Things could have been a lot worse.

 _Yes they could. He could have fired you. And you know you would have deserved it._

"And Gage?"

"Yeah, Walker."

"Just between you and me, all the good rangers have been suspended at least once in their career," Walker said with a smile and a wink.

 _Don't let that go to your head, son._


	9. Chapter 9

"What a day!" Alex Cahill-Walker greeted her husband with a kiss and dropped into a chair at a table at CD's. She was happy to see the lunch crowd was light; hopefully she could get back to the office quickly and get caught up on a morning's worth of work that she knew was piling up fast on her desk.

"I take it today hasn't gone well?" Walker asked "What's going on?"

"I met with Clayton Adams, Scott Weatherton's attorney. He's insisting on a deal. I drop the assault and battery charges and he doesn't go after Gage," Alex replied, exasperated.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. What on earth was Gage thinking?"

"That's the problem, Alex," Walker replied. "He wasn't thinking."

"That's not the worst of it, though," Alex continued. "I could probably live with dropping the charges knowing that Scott would get life for Kristine's murder, but Adams is insisting that because of the way Trivette got the DNA sample there is no case, and that since Weatherton is such a highly-respected doctor, he should be granted bail. I told him he's going to have to wait until Scott is transferred back to El Paso to fight that out with the El Paso County DA, but he just seems to think that because he says so, we should make it happen. What a pompous ass!" Alex shook her head, her blond curls bouncing,

"That's just the thing, though," Trivette pulled out a chair and joined his friends at the table, removing his hat and jacket as he sat down. "Scott Weatherton isn't even a practicing doctor. I've been doing a little digging, and Weatherton was stripped of his practicing privileges at El Paso University Medical Center about a year and a half ago. Seems there was an incident involving a nurse that was working the ER with him. They had a disagreement over treatment of a patient. Scott prescribed a medication the patient was allergic to. The nurse found it in the patient's chart and called it to his attention and he got upset with her. She was found badly beaten in a hospital parking lot. Clayton Adams made a deal with the nurse and the hospital. She got a nice settlement and the hospital agreed to pay Weatherton a hefty payout and keep the story out of the news in exchange for suspending his privileges."

A slow smile spread across Alex's face. "Trivette, you just gave me my ace in the hole! I can't wait to tell Clayton Adams where he can stuff his deal!"

Walker looked thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder what Sydney knew about Scott losing his practicing privileges," he mused. "I'm going to stop up at the hospital this afternoon to check in on her. I'll ask her. Trivette, did you get the DNA results back?"

"Got them back and sent them on to Captain Phillips along with the fingerprints." Trivette replied. "We're just waiting to hear if everything is a positive match with the DNA and prints they have from Kristine Conley's apartment."

* * *

Sydney looked up to see Gage walk in to her room just as she was finishing her breakfast.

"Good morning," he smiled, "how are you feeling today?"

"Awful. I don't think there's a single part of me that doesn't hurt," Sydney complained.

Gage winced. In the bright morning light of the clean white hospital room, the reds and purples of the bruises that covered the entire side of Sydney's face looked even more garish. He felt a rage rising from the pit of his stomach again and fought to control it. He wanted nothing more than to beat Scott Weatherton to a bloody pulp for what he did to Sydney's pretty face and her beautiful spirit.

"I'm happy to see you. I didn't think you'd be here until later," Sydney said. "Quiet day today?"

Gage squeezed Sydney's hand. "Yeah, pretty quiet. I'm happy to see you, too, Shorty." He loosened his grip on her hand but didn't release it. Sydney didn't make a move to let go of his hand either.

"Shorty. I haven't heard that in so long," she said wistfully. "I wasn't sure I would after how things went between us after I got home."

"Syd, I am so sorry about that. I never gave you a chance to explain –" Gage began.

Sydney held up her hand. "It's okay. I understand. It's probably more my fault than anything, coming home after five years and expecting everything to be the same or almost the same as it was before. I should have known better."

Gage thought about what she said for a moment. It was no secret that he was very protective of his feelings, but once he fell, he fell hard and he was all in. If he got hurt in the process, he'd put up barriers that made the Great Wall of China look like a child's sand castle on a beach. He had been like that ever since his parents had passed away and with every woman he'd ever had a relationship with; that is, every woman except Sydney. Sydney seemed to find every little crack in his walls and, instead of exploiting them and forcing her way through, she was the glue that seemed to hold him together. She had always been that way.

 _That's because she's The One, you blind idiot._

"I guess I have a pretty long story to tell you," Sydney continued. "You probably want to know how I ended up in a hospital bed with a concussion and a side full of cracked ribs courtesy of Scott Weatherton." She picked up the glass of water on her tray and took a sip. A nurse came in to check her blood pressure and temperature. Sydney waited until the nurse left before she continued.

"I was pretty sure that moving to El Paso was the biggest mistake of my entire life. Between the job being so different from what I was used to and the shock of finding out about losing the baby, it just seemed like I was having a lot of trouble getting my feet under me. And then there were the nightmares." Sydney told Gage about the nightmares she had about him walking away and leaving her to fall into a dark pit or into angry, swirling water.

"Oh, Syd," Gage breathed. He felt awful that he had been the subject of such terrible dreams.

"I met Kristine Conley working on a case. She was the coroner's assistant. We got to be really good friends. I just got a call Monday that they found Kristine beaten to death in her apartment. Scott told me he did it when we were stuck in the elevator. He went to see Kristine to find out where I was, and she didn't know. I don't know how it happened, but he killed her. Anyway, Kristine invited me to go with her and a few friends to a rodeo one night. That's when I met Scott. He was funny and charming and incredibly persistent. And I had no idea what a monster he was."

Sydney stopped and took a deep breath, grimacing at the pain in her side.

"At first, the biggest thing he would get upset about were the guys I worked with. He was certain I had a thing for one of them or all of them or they had a thing for me. He was very jealous. No matter what I told him, he was sure there was something going on. He'd get upset and lock himself in his office and sleep on the couch until he got over it. Then he'd bring me flowers and apologize and everything would be fine. He'd get mad over stupid little things and never tell me what I did wrong. He'd just spend a few nights sleeping in his office, and then he'd get over it and bring me flowers and tell me how sorry he was. I never really thought anything about it. I just figured that was how he was and that was it. I didn't see anything of his violent side until we had a party for the Fourth of July. He was talking to some friends of his and they started arguing and he just punched the one guy right in the face. Broke his nose. Then he yelled at everyone to get out. He told me the guy said something rude about me and he wasn't about to stand for it, so he let him have it."

"Did he?" Gage asked. "Did he say something?"

"I don't know. I have no idea. All I know was that I had never seen that side of Scott before and it freaked me out a little. But he apologized, said they had all been drinking and his temper got the best of him and it would never happen again and I believed him. God, I was so stupid."

"Why, what happened?"

"Nothing big happened until just before Christmas. Do you remember hearing about the Hemingway murders?" Sydney asked.

"I remember that case. The whole city of El Paso was walking on eggshells until they caught that guy. You worked on that?"

"Yeah. Five crime scenes in one day. It was the same day as the big hospital Christmas gala. That was a big damn deal for Scott, being that he was one of the most prominent doctors at University Med. It was always a good time, too and I enjoyed going, but there was no way I could make it. We were buried that day. We were sending bodies to the morgue and processing crime scenes left and right. I called him to tell him what was going on, but he quit answering his phone halfway through the day. When I got home, it was late. It was so late and I was exhausted. I felt awful for missing the gala, but there was no reason he couldn't have gone without me. It wasn't like it was a big secret that five people had been brutally murdered in the city. But he didn't go. He was locked in his office. I was just going to go to bed and let him deal with his issues. I turned on the light in the bedroom and my dress…"

Sydney stopped and took another deep, painful breath.

"It's okay, Syd. Just take your time."

"The dress I was going to wear to the gala was just shredded. He took a pair of surgical scissors and cut it to shreds. It was just laying on the bed, all cut up, and the scissors were laying on the floor. It was… It was so threatening. Like he wanted to cut me up for missing that damn party! For the first time, I was terrified. I locked the door and I didn't sleep at all that night. "

"Wow," Gage whispered, squeezing Sydney's hand. "I am so sorry."

"He didn't talk to me for a good week. He just stayed locked in his office. I went to work – we had five murder cases to deal with – and every night I slept with the door locked. One day I came home and the house was full of flowers and he was waiting with this beautiful, very expensive necklace. He apologized and said he was going to try harder to understand how committed I was to my job, and everything seemed fine after that. I should have known better. I've seen all this kind of behavior before with the women in Alex's group, and with the cases we've dealt with. I knew better, Gage, and I was so stupid, I just stayed."

"You weren't stupid, Syd," Gage stroked her hand reassuringly. "You had no idea."

"Things were okay for a long while. We found out I was pregnant and we were both just so happy. And then I lost the baby," Sydney wiped at her eyes and searched around for a box of tissues. Gage found them on the window sill and retrieved them, pulling several from the pale green box and handing them to her. Sydney dabbed at her eyes and nose and continued, "three days I stayed in bed, crying. Scott never once came in to check on me. He just disappeared. When I finally got out of bed to try to find him, I saw…" Sydney crumbled into sobs.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Gage moved from the chair to the edge of the bed, and, mindful of Sydney's fractured ribs, wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him, holding her head against his shoulder. "It's okay, baby," he whispered into her hair, "you don't have to do this, you know. If it's too hard to talk about.."

"I need to," Sydney hiccupped between sobs. "I need you to know."

"Okay, then. Just take a few deep breaths and take your time. Take all the time you need."

 _Sure. You have all day. Plus tomorrow and the day after that, too, but you're not going to tell her about that, are you?_

Gage held her for several long moments until her tears subsided and then eased her back against the pillows on the bed. "You okay?" he asked, handing her the glass of water from her tray. Sydney nodded. She took another deep breath and continued to speak.

"I looked all through the house. I thought he was locked in his office like usual, but he wasn't. So I looked all around. I couldn't bear to look in the baby's room, but I finally convinced myself to open the door, and…" She burst into tears again.

Gage felt helpless. He'd never seen Sydney so torn up before and it was breaking his own heart. He pulled her to him gently and hugged her, kissing her hair and whispering that everything was okay. Finally, Sydney composed herself. Remaining in Gage's arms, she finished telling him what she saw.

"The whole nursery was splattered with black paint. The walls, the floor, the crib, everything. And he shredded all the baby clothes just like he'd shredded my dress. I couldn't believe it. It was the most horrible thing I'd ever seen. He stayed gone for a week, and when he came back, he refused to speak to me. He didn't talk to me for a month. By then, I was done. I filed for divorce. I packed a bag and stayed in a hotel the night he was served. I found a little apartment and moved out until the divorce was final. I was expecting him to give me all kinds of problems, but he didn't. Not until the day everything was final. He told me he'd boxed up all my things and I could stop by the house to pick everything up. I had already made up my mind I was moving back to Dallas, so I stopped to get everything. He helped me load the Jeep and we said our goodbyes and that's when he told me that there was nowhere I could go that he wouldn't find me. And he punched me in the face."

Gage closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There it was. He had hit her before. Weatherton was a monster. Destroying a baby's room like that. Pretending to be nice and helpful and then threatening Syd and hitting her when she left. The rotten bastard. Gage wished again that he had killed him when he had the chance. He probably would kill him if got his hands on him again. Slowly and painfully. Weatherton deserved no mercy for what he had put Syd through.

"I went to Alex and Walker's cookout with so much makeup covering that bruise. Nobody noticed it, thank God, not even Alex, and I thought surely she would."

Gage pulled back and tilted Sydney's face up to look at her. "You mean those were the fractures the doctor was talking about yesterday? The ones that were healing?"

"Yeah. It was just a few days before the cookout that it happened. Right before I left to come back here. He had me so paranoid. I thought he put a tracking device in my stuff. I was tearing through boxes in a hotel parking lot. I saved a few things, but most of the things he boxed up for me I tossed. I got a new cell phone because I was afraid he'd try to track me using the old number. I cut my hair. And I drove almost non-stop. I couldn't sleep anyhow. Every time I would try to sleep, I'd have horrible nightmares that he was following me and was going to kill me. I guess I wasn't so far off, was I?"

"The nightmare you had at my place, was that about him?" Gage asked gently.

"Yes. The same one I've had since the night I left El Paso. He was following me and he was going to kill me when he caught me. Gage, he was in the parking lot at Frank's that night. He saw us together. He followed us back to your place. I didn't know it, but he was outside when I left Sunday morning. He saw me leave."

"Jesus," Gage hissed under his breath. Had he only known that then, maybe Sydney wouldn't be sitting in a hospital bed right now.

 _Yeah, maybe not. And maybe you would be sitting in a jail cell. Ever think of that?_

"Syd. Syd, I am so sorry you went through all that. I wish I could take it all away. But I promise you, you have nothing to worry about. Scott Weatherton is in custody and he's not going to be a free man for a long, long time. You won't have to worry about him ever again," Gage held Sydney by her slim shoulders and looked in her dark eyes. "I promise."

* * *

Walker tapped on Sydney's door. Sydney looked up, surprised to see him.

"Hi, Walker! I thought you were Gage. He decided a double chocolate milkshake was exactly what I needed, so he went to get me one. Actually, I think it's more for himself than me. I'm pretty sure they don't serve greasy burgers and fries in the hospital cafeteria," Sydney cracked.

Walker laughed. "Sounds like you're in pretty good spirits, all things considered."

"There isn't a part of me that doesn't feel like I didn't have a run-in with a train, but I'm okay," Sydney replied, "What am I missing at headquarters?"

Gage walked in with two large Styrofoam cups topped with whipped cream and cherries and a white paper bag stained with several large grease spots. "Just what the doctor ordered. This will have you fixed up in no time! Oh, hey Walker, if I knew you were coming up, I'd have grabbed you a shake, too!"

"Hey, Gage. Taking good care of Sydney, I see."

"Walker was just going to tell me what I was missing at headquarters." Sydney poked a straw through the mountain of whipped cream on the milkshake Gage handed her and picked the cherry off the top. Gage watched her lick the whipped cream off the cherry and several less-than-pure thoughts ran through his mind. He sat down and dropped the white bag onto his lap to disguise his sudden arousal.

"Syd, did you know that Scott Weatherton had lost practicing privileges at University Medical Center about a year and a half ago?" Walker asked.

Sydney paused in mid-sip of her milkshake and looked up at Walker with raised eyebrows. "He what?"

"Trivette was doing a little digging and found out that he had a bit of a disagreement with an ER nurse. She questioned his treatment of a patient and was later found badly beaten in a parking lot outside the hospital. Scott's attorney cut a few deals. The nurse got a healthy settlement and the hospital board agreed to give him a pretty substantial payout and keep the story out of the news in return for suspending his privileges."

I never knew that," Sydney looked flabbergasted. "He kept acting like he was still going to work. The only thing he said was to be extra-careful if I dropped by the hospital because somebody had gotten robbed in one of the parking lots." Sydney shook her head in disbelief. "I don't think anything could surprise me about him, though. Not anymore."

"We did get some good news," Walker continued. "Captain Phillips called just before I left. The DNA and fingerprints we got matched the DNA and prints in Kristine's apartment. Looks like the El Paso county DA will have a pretty solid case. I have a couple rangers taking Weatherton about halfway to meet up with the guys Captain Phillips is sending to pick him up and take him to the Sanchez prison. And Bobbie has agreed to stay on a few more days while you're recuperating. Her aunt is coming in to pick up her daughter and take her back to Lubbock to spend some time with her cousins, so there's no need for you to worry about hurrying back to work. We're a little short-handed, but we'll manage just fine."

"Short-handed?" Sydney asked, puzzled. "Who else is out?"

"Gage, you didn't tell her?" Walker asked.

Gage shuffled uncomfortably in his chair.

"Tell me what?" Sydney stared Gage down over the top of her Styrofoam cup.

"I have a few days off," Gage shrugged sheepishly.

"Oh? For what?" Sydney asked pointedly. "Not for me, I hope."

"Not directly. I kind of got into a little bit of trouble." Gage looked down, not wanting to meet Sydney's eyes as he told her about his outburst in the interrogation room and Walker's decision to suspend him for three days.

Sydney took a deep, painful breath and settled herself back on the pillows on her hospital bed. She looked out the window for a long, long moment, taking in what Gage had just told her.

Walker spoke up. "I had better get back to headquarters. It was good to see you, Syd." Walker slipped out of the room, leaving Sydney and Gage to sit in uncomfortable silence.

After what seemed like forever, Sydney finally spoke. "Suspended, huh? What the hell were you thinking?"

"Syd, all I could think of was that he'd hit you before, and I was so pissed off. I just wanted to beat the hell out of him for what he did to you," Gage explained.

"Did you even stop to think what you were doing? His attorney is probably thinking of every way possible he can get Scott off right now. If Scott goes free, he's coming after me again. He'll kill me, Gage." Sydney cried out in pain as a wave of sobs wracked her petite frame. "I can't get away from him. If he goes free, I'll spend the rest of my life living in fear of that monster."

Gage crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. He tried to wrap his arms around Sydney to comfort her, but she pushed him away. "Syd, I'm sorry. He won't hurt you again. I promise."

"Really?" Sydney looked up at Gage, the hurt and anger in her eyes stung him like an arrow through his heart. "Just how are you going to make sure of that?"

"I don't know, but I promise. Trust me, Syd. Please." Gage pleaded.

Sydney turned her head away, refusing to look at him. "Just go," she whispered, her voice filled with anger, and just underneath, something more. Something that hurt Gage more than her anger. That something, he realized as he left Sydney's hospital room, was fear.


	10. Chapter 10

"Syd, I know you're mad at me, and I'm not even asking you to talk to me. But you are going to have to at least put up with me because the only way they're going to let you go home is if you have somebody to stay with you. And since my schedule is wide open today and tomorrow, you get to spend two wonderful days in my company. So what do you say? It's not as bad as it sounds, is it?" Gage asked the petite brunette teasingly.

Sydney rolled her eyes and looked away, not answering. It was Wednesday morning and Dr. O'Leary had cleared Sydney to go home, but only if she had somebody to stay with her for a few days. Sydney insisted she was fine and could manage by herself, but the doctor stood his ground, refusing to sign any of her release paperwork unless she would agree to have somebody stay with her. Finally, she gave in, and now, she was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for a nurse to come in with discharge instructions.

"Syd, listen to me." Gage leaned over onto the bed, one hand on either side of Syd's slim hips, and looked directly into her dark eyes. "I know you're afraid Scott might get off and come after you, but you have nothing to worry about. He's going to have to get through me first, and I'm not letting that happen." Gage stood up and dug into the pocket of his faded black jeans and pulled out his badge. He wasn't wearing it because he was on suspension for another two days.

Gage placed the silver star in Sydney's hand and wrapped her fingers around it. Squeezing her hand tight, he spoke, "I would rather give this up than let anything happen to you. Do you understand? I would do anything to keep you safe. If it means giving up my job or my life, that's what I'll do. Scott Weatherton is not going to hurt you ever again, Sydney. I promise you."

Sydney looked up at Gage, her eyes glistening with tears. "Thank you," she whispered.

Gage wrapped her up in a gentle hug, taking care not to put any pressure on her fractured ribs. Behind them, a nurse cleared her throat to get their attention. She had all the instructions for Sydney's release. After going over several pages of instructions and scheduled follow-up doctor's appointments, Gage and the nurse left to allow Sydney to finish getting dressed.

Fifteen minutes later, Gage knocked on the door and then stepped inside to find Sydney still sitting on the edge of the bed. She was almost dressed, but was still wearing the hospital gown and holding the shirt she was wearing when Alex brought her to the emergency room two days earlier. Sydney was staring at the blood stains on the shirt and running her fingers over them.

"Syd, everything okay?" Gage asked.

"I wish I would have thought to have Alex bring me another shirt," Sydney said pensively.

"Here," Gage pulled off the tan and black plaid shirt he was wearing over a black t-shirt. "It's going to be ten sizes too big for you, but it'll work." He left Sydney to finish dressing and went to bring his car around to the hospital entrance.

When the nurse brought Sydney down to the hospital entrance in a wheelchair, Gage couldn't help but smile. Sydney had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and knotted it at her waist. It was still too big, but he thought that shirt had never looked any better. Gage helped her into the orange Chevelle.

"I finally fixed the door," he said proudly. "You can actually get out of this thing without falling on the ground."

Sydney gave a little laugh, recalling the number of times she had tumbled out of the car and the number of times she'd yelled at Gage to get that damn door fixed. "Well, that only took five years."

"I don't know. Maybe I should have let it go," Gage chuckled. "It was a lot of fun trying to catch you before you landed on the ground."

"I'll bet it was." Try as she might, Sydney just could not stay mad at that handsome blond man once he shot that boyish grin her way a couple of times.

"Do you want to go home or do you want to get something to eat? What do you want to do?" Gage asked.

"I'm dying to get a shower," Sydney replied. "And maybe we can call Pang's for takeout? Please tell me they are still open. I haven't had good Chinese in years."

"Sounds like a plan." Gage said, driving to Sydney's apartment.

* * *

Gage helped Sydney up the stairs to her apartment. After reassuring himself that she was capable of managing a shower on her own, he settled onto the couch to watch TV while she went down the hall to her bedroom. He had just gotten comfortable and found something to watch on ESPN when he heard Sydney scream. Gage jumped off the couch, hurdled the coffee table and ran to the bedroom. Sydney was standing in the doorway, holding tight to the door frame, her eyes and mouth wide circles, her face pale, the bruises on her face standing out in stark comparison.

"What's wrong?" Gage asked breathlessly.

"He was here, Gage," Sydney replied, her voice a hoarse whisper. "He was here." Sydney pointed to the bed. On the pillow was a brown and wilted yellow rose.

Sydney wrapped her arms tight around Gage's waist, burying her face in his chest. "I can't stay here. I have to get out of here," she cried.

"Okay, okay, we'll go. But we better call Walker and Trivette first," Gage replied. "You can stay at my place if you want."

 _Oh, now, that's smooth, hero._

Walker and Trivette arrived shortly afterward to find Sydney sitting in Gage's car and Gage talking to the apartment manager.

"Gage," Walker said sternly. "I'll take it from here. You're supposed to be suspended."

"I know, Walker. He just got back, and I thought I'd catch him and ask him a few questions while he was around," Gage explained.

"Well, what did you find out?"

"Somebody fitting Scott Weatherton's description was here Monday morning. Said he was called to look at Syd's apartment to give an estimate on a security system. He had a card, seemed official, so he let him in. He's going to look for the card now."

Walker went to the apartment manager's office and found the heavyset, balding man searching through stacks of papers on a cluttered desk. "I know I just saw that man's card, sir," he said apologetically. "I had no idea he wasn't who he said he was. It seemed legit. A single gal getting a security system put in her place? Made sense to me. Can't be too careful these days, ya know? I had boys myself, but if I had a daughter as pretty as that gal, I'd want her to have a good security system. Hell, I'd want her to have a bunch of pit bulls and a platoon's worth of bazookas. I might even hire that Chuck Norris fellow for her bodyguard. He's badass, that guy. I'm sorry, sir, I just can't find that card."

"That's all right," Walker reassured. "Can you tell me, would this be the man that was here?" Walker showed the apartment manager a picture of Scott Weatherton.

"Sure is."

"Thank you," Walker tipped his hat. "You've been a big help."

"I called forensics, they're sending a team out to go over your place," Trivette told Sydney. "Unfortunately, and you know this, you can't stay here and you can't take anything with you until they're done. Did you notice anything missing or anything else out of place?"

"No," Sydney's voice was barely a whisper. "Just the rose."

"I'm going to take her to my place," Gage said. "She can stay there until they finish going over her apartment."

"I know it's an inconvenience, Syd, but it's just a few days. If you need anything, just give Alex or me a call," Walker spoke warmly. "You know you're family to us and we'll be glad to help you out."

"Thank you, Walker," Sydney replied.

"I mean it. Gage, if she won't call, then you call. And remember. You're suspended. We'll handle this." Walker grinned.

"Got it, boss."

* * *

"Still hungry for Chinese?" Gage asked as he drove across town to his apartment. "I'll call Pang's real quick and order whatever you want. We can pick it up on the way."

Sydney shrugged and gave a weak smile. "I guess." She really wasn't all that hungry anymore, but she knew Gage was going to keep after her to eat. Better to at least fake being hungry than have him fuss at her for not eating, she thought.

"There's still that drawer full of your stuff at my place. Not sure what's there, but it should be enough to get you through until you can get back into your apartment. If there's anything you need I'm sure we can always send Alex shopping for you if you're not up to it yourself." Gage reminded her.

At Gage's apartment, Sydney stood under the shower until the water turned cold. Gage reheated her General Tso's chicken and egg roll in the microwave and kept quiet as she just picked at it. She tried to act interested in the Jackie Chan movie he found on TV, but it was no use. She was a pretty poor actress when it came to pretending to be in a happy and cheerful mood when her mind was consumed with worry and fear. Even though she knew she was safe with Gage, Sydney couldn't help to think of what had happened so far that week. Finally, she admitted she was tired and just wanted to sleep. Gage got up to make up the bed for her, arranging it with all the pillows he could find so she'd be as comfortable as possible. He was insistent, too, on sleeping on the couch, which only made Sydney feel even worse.

"Gage, I can't let you sleep on the couch in your own place. That's not right. I'll take the couch." Gage was trying so hard to be an accommodating and entertaining host and Sydney felt bad enough for being poor company. The idea of Gage sleeping on the couch in his own place made her feel worse.

"Absolutely not. I'm not the one with the cracked ribs and the concussion. That means you get the bed. And to prove that I am a perfect gentleman and my intentions are absolutely pure, I am sleeping on the couch. Now, Syd, will you please get in that bed and go to sleep?"

Sydney climbed into Gage's bed and let him pull a blanket over her. "There's plenty of room," she said, patting the bed beside her. "I'll share."

"Any other night, Syd, I wouldn't think twice and you know it. But you need to rest. I'm just a few feet away if you need anything."

* * *

Sydney's screams woke Gage from a dead sleep a couple of hours later. He ran to his room and flipped the light on to find Sydney sitting in the middle of the bed crying; the blankets a tangled mess, pillows everywhere. He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a long, long time until she calmed down.

"What's wrong, Syd? Another nightmare?"

Sydney nodded, still trying to catch her breath.

Gage stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "It's okay, baby. You're with me and you're safe. I told you, you have nothing to worry about. "

"It's so awful, Gage," Sydney whimpered. "I can't close my eyes without seeing him."

"Syd, you've been through something terrible. It's just going to take some time, but you'll be okay. Why don't you try to go back to sleep?"

"Stay here with me," Sydney looked up at Gage. "Don't leave me alone."

"I won't leave you," Gage replied. "Let's see if we can straighten out these blankets and get you back to sleep."

After Sydney fell asleep, with her hand firmly clutching his as if for dear life, Gage lay for a long time just watching her. He still loved her every bit as much as he did the day she left him five years ago, if not more now that he had seen her fragile side and had learned what she'd been through. He knew it was going to take a long time to fix what Scott Weatherton had broken, but he knew he was in this for the long haul. Somehow, he was going to make Sydney understand that.

* * *

The next morning, Gage woke up to find Sydney laying on her side, her hand on his chest, watching him.

She smiled sleepily. "Good morning."

"Mmm. It is." Gage rolled onto his side and took her hand in his. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. Do you know you still snore?" Sydney giggled a little. After everything that had happened over the last few days, it was the sweetest sound Gage could imagine.

"Well, what can I say. I enjoy my sleep." Gage brought Sydney's hand to his lips and brushed a kiss over the back of her fingers. "Want me to make breakfast?"

Sydney shrugged. "I don't really feel like getting up. Do you?"

 _Whoa. Talk about your loaded questions._

"Not really. I'd rather just stay here with you."

They were both quiet for several long moments. Then Sydney spoke again. "You're thinking about something. What is it?"

"Syd, I have to ask you something. Was Scott responsible for your losing the baby? I mean, your second miscarriage. Did he do something?"

"No, no. He had nothing to do with that, Gage. But I have to admit, and I know it sounds so awful of me to say this, I'm almost thankful it happened. I mean, look what he did to me. Can you imagine what he might have done to a baby? It was so awful at the time, but I think it was one of those awful things that ends up being a blessing."

Gage slid a little closer to Sydney and draped his arm over her hip. He leaned in and pressed the gentlest kiss to her lips. "I wish you would have called me. I would have been there. I would have brought you back home. "Gage kissed her again, this time a little more insistently.

"I know," Sydney whispered. "But I'm home now." She smoothed her palm over his cheek and kissed him back.

"Maybe I should make breakfast. I'm out of eggs, so is cinnamon toast okay?" Gage hated the thought of getting up, but he had promised to be a perfect gentleman and the longer he stayed that close to Sydney in that bed, the less chance he stood of keeping that promise.

 _Amazing what a few broken ribs do for a man's willpower, isn't it?_

* * *

Trivette called later in the morning to let Sydney know that she could go back to her apartment. The forensics team was done. They hadn't found a single print anywhere. It seemed that all Scott Weatherton had done was leave that single rose on her pillow. He also said that Scott was on his way back to El Paso. A couple of rangers had left with him that morning to take him to Midland where they would hand him off to a couple of rangers Captain Phillips was sending from El Paso. Alex had talked to Scott's attorney and let him know she knew all about the special deals Clayton Adams had made with El Paso University Medical Center and the ER nurse that was found badly beaten in the parking lot. All she had to do was mention knowing about the deals and Adams was willing to give up on pressing any charges against Gage.

Clayton Adams had enough to worry about without going after Gage. It wasn't bad enough that the DNA and prints that the rangers in Dallas got from his client were perfect matches to the prints and DNA found at the El Paso crime scene, but he couldn't seem to find a way to make those prints and DNA inadmissible in court. The Kristine Conley story had been breaking news on the previous evening's six o'clock newscast and while his client wasn't named outright as the suspect, he was named as a person of interest which made him look equally as guilty as far as Adams was concerned. All Adams needed was that little hospital incident getting out in the open and Weatherton would be screwed. Hell, he was screwed anyhow, but Adams didn't need any of the rest of the skeletons in Weatherton's closet coming to life and creating more problems.

Sydney was relieved that Scott's attorney had decided not to go after Gage. That meant there was little chance Scott would go free. It didn't help with the nightmares, however. Every night, Sydney would wake up in terror, torn from sleep by the vision of elevator doors opening to reveal Scott Weatherton standing there smiling at her moments before grabbing her and pulling her into a bottomless elevator shaft.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" Gage asked. He was going back to work and leaving Sydney to stay by herself for the day. Sydney still hadn't gone back to her own apartment. Days after the forensics team had finished with their investigation, Sydney wasn't comfortable staying there. Even though he was now sitting in a jail cell on the other side of the state, just knowing that Scott had been in her apartment left Sydney completely unnerved.

"I'll be fine," Sydney replied, watching as Gage pinned his silver star on his shirt.

"I'll call every hour on the hour to check on you, and if you need anything, you call me."

"Gage, I'll be fine. I promise, I'll stay out of the shower and I won't turn on the stove, and if I need anything, I will call you." Sydney repeated Gage's earlier instructions to her. "You worry too much, you know."

"I don't think I worry enough." Gage brushed a kiss across Sydney's forehead. "I'll see you later, Shorty."

* * *

Sydney didn't call Gage, but she did call Ellen, the company B records archive clerk. Within a couple of hours of Sydney's call, Ellen brought Gage a file box full of old case files. "Sydney called me. She wanted me to give these to you to take to her."

Gage flipped through the files. Most of them were old, and none of them were cases that he and Sydney had worked on, but he was surprised at how violent the crimes were. He wondered why Sydney wanted them. As he was looking through them, Trivette walked by.

"What are those?" Trivette asked.

"Some old case files Sydney asked Ellen to pull. She wants me to take them home for her."

Trivette leafed through a few of the files. "Wow. I remember some of these cases. There's some pretty heavy stuff in here. What does Sydney want with them?"

"I know," Gage agreed. "I have no idea why she wants them. She hasn't been off work long enough to be this bored."

Gage went home that evening to find Sydney curled up on the couch watching a movie. He walked in during a fight scene so violent that even he was shocked, but Sydney was totally unfazed.

"Hey, Shorty. I brought those files Ellen pulled for you. What are you watching?"

"Thank you, Gage. Just some old movie I came across."

"That's some pretty intense stuff." Gage picked up the remote. "Mind if I find something else?"

Sydney just shrugged and started poking through the box of case files. She picked a file out of the box and opened it up and began reading. Within moments, she was totally absorbed in the details of the old case, flipping through the pages as though they were the latest best-seller. By the end of the evening, she'd read through nearly all the files. Gage was completely puzzled but took the list of files she gave him to ask Ellen to pull for her the next day.

The next couple of weeks followed the same pattern. Gage would bring home old case files of some of the most violent, horrific cases the rangers had worked on and Sydney would read through them voraciously, soaking up each detail like a sponge. When Gage asked why she was so interested in old case files, Sydney just said she was reading them to keep up on her forensics skills. Most evenings when Gage came home, Sydney would be watching a movie, the more violent the better. Gage found it disturbing, but Sydney didn't seem to think there was a problem. She would hand Gage the remote and let him change the channel with no complaints. And every night, Sydney would wake up in absolute terror, her sleep shattered by yet another nightmare about Scott Weatherton. Gage would hold her and calm her until she fell back to sleep in his arms, holding on to him so tightly that some mornings he woke up with red marks from where her fingers had dug into his flesh. While he was happy that the bruises on Sydney's face were fading and her injuries were healing, Gage was bothered by the fact that no matter what he did or how much he wanted to, he couldn't heal the deep emotional pain she was struggling with.

* * *

The El Paso county district attorney met with Bobbie and Gage for depositions in Alex's office. As Gage was leaving, Alex stopped him.

"Gage, is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Well, other than the idea of having to look at that monster in court when I'd really like to beat the hell out of him for what he did to Syd, yeah, everything's fine. Why?"

Alex took in the dark circles under Gage's eyes. "Gage, you look so tired. Are you sure everything is okay?"

Gage took a deep breath and ran his hand through his blond hair. "I'll be honest, Alex, with Syd and these nightmares she's been having, I haven't been sleeping. I am worn out."

Alex motioned for Gage to sit down, as she seated herself in the chair next to him. "Nightmares? What's going on? And Sydney's still staying with you? I thought she went back to her place."

Gage sat down, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. "No. She was so upset about Scott being in her apartment, she wouldn't go back, so she's still staying at my place. Every night, Alex, she has these terrible nightmares. She wakes up screaming. I don't know what to do for her. She is so terrified. What he did to her, I could just…" Gage shook his head.

"Gage, that's awful. Is she talking to anyone?"

"She won't talk to anyone. She thinks it'll keep her from coming back to work. That's not the only thing. She's been requesting all these old case files for some of the most brutal cases the rangers have ever worked on. She says it's to keep up on her forensics skills. She reads them like they're the latest New York Times best seller. And she's been watching the most violent movies she can find. Alex, she's never watched anything more violent than Jackie Chan. I have trouble getting her to watch a scary movie for Halloween without her covering her face with a pillow. I just don't understand what's going on with her."

"I've been meaning to drop by and see how she's doing," Alex said. "Maybe I can talk to her. There's a therapist that comes to the HOPE Center once a month. Maybe she'd be willing to talk to her. It's worth a shot if it might help her with those nightmares."

"That would be great, Alex," Gage was grateful for Alex's suggestion. "I'll let Sydney know you'll be stopping by to see her."

* * *

Alex stopped by to see Sydney after work. Sydney cleared the stack of case files off the couch so Alex could sit down and looked around for the remote to shut off the TV.

"Sydney, what on earth are you watching?" Alex cringed as another round of gunshots rang out from the television and several of the actors in the movie fell to the ground in bloody heaps.

"Oh, just a movie. There's not much on TV during the day," Sydney clicked off the TV.

"Sydney, Gage told me you're watching this stuff all the time. And he told me about the case files and the nightmares, too. Syd, what's the matter? What's going on?"

Sydney was silent for several long moments. She knew she couldn't bluff her way out of this one. Alex was relentless when she was after an answer to a question, whether she was in a courtroom or trying to help a friend.

"Oh, Alex, I feel so awful. Gage has been so good to me, letting me stay here for so long and staying up with me every night with these terrible nightmares. I know he's so tired."

"Sydney, are you sure these movies and case files aren't causing the nightmares?" Alex asked.

"Oh, no. The nightmares are about Scott. The movies and files, those are something I chose to do on my own."

"But why? Those movies are so violent, and the case files, Gage said there's some really rough stuff in there," Alex questioned with concern.

"Because," Sydney looked at Alex with tears in her eyes, "I just need to know there is something worse out there than what I went through."

"Oh, Sydney." Alex embraced her friend. "There's a therapist that comes to the HOPE Center. Her name is Laurie Kim. I've known her for a long time. She's done a lot of good work with my women's group. I really wish you'd talk to her. Just go once or twice. If you don't think she's helping, you don't have to go back. But I really think you need to talk to somebody. It may help with the nightmares."

"I don't know, Alex. I worry about how seeing a therapist might affect my being able to go back to work."

"It's completely confidential. Nobody needs to know unless you want them to know," Alex replied. "You don't have to live your life feeling this way, Sydney."

Sydney didn't respond. She just looked down and picked at a rough spot on her fingernail.

Alex handed her a card with Laurie Kim's phone number. "Sydney, you owe it to yourself to allow yourself to heal and have some peace of mind. You owe it to Gage. He loves you so much and just wants you to get better. Please give Laurie a call?"

Sydney took the card and looked at it for a long time, thinking about what Alex said.

"Okay," she agreed. "Okay."


	11. Chapter 11

Clayton Adams knew he had problems when his phone wouldn't quit ringing. It seemed like every reporter in El Paso -scratch that - every reporter in the whole damn state of Texas had his phone number. He was more popular than candy canes at Christmas.

It all started when Scott Weatherton went from being the person of interest to the main suspect in the Kristine Conley murder case. The El Paso county DA was charging him with capital murder, a stretch as far as Adams was concerned. A murder charge would have been sufficient given that Adams didn't think Scott really intended to kill Kristine. Either way, his client was looking at a minimum of 20 years at best and the death penalty – if the DA got the capital murder charge to stick – at worst.

But then the serious shit hit the fan. A woman named Rosalie Avila stepped forward and claimed she was the ER nurse that was found badly beaten in a parking lot at El Paso University Medical Center. Every local station picked up her story and ran it as breaking news. The hospital admitted they covered up Weatherton's dismissal, and three more nurses went straight to the hospital's human resources department with their own stories of abuse at the hands of the former Dr. Scott Weatherton. They, too, took their stories to the local news, speaking anonymously, but giving such compelling accounts that Rosalie Avila's story could not be discounted as anything less than the truth. As each story hit the news, Adams' defense of Weatherton crumbled just a bit more, and the DA was gaining more ground with his capital murder charge.

* * *

"What the hell happened with Avila and University Med?" Weatherton demanded. He had insisted on a meeting with Clayton Adams and they were sitting in a small, gray room furnished with just one equally-gray table and two folding chairs. A guard stood just outside the door; having let Adams into the room only after he'd emptied his pockets and had been gone over with a hand-held metal detector. The guard took Adams' briefcase, only letting him take a notepad and a pencil inside the room.

"I don't know, Scott. I really thought that was all taken care of."

"Well, apparently it wasn't. And those three other bitches. They're lying, you know. They're lying and I'm paying the price for it." Scott had been jumped on the way back to his cell after lunch the day before. A few of the inmates took issue with Scott after the news stories painted him as a brutal, serial abuser who had beaten four nurses and his ex-wife and killed a woman who was also the coroner's assistant. They had worked Weatherton over pretty hard; Scott sat across from Adams with two black eyes, a broken nose and busted lip, and his arm in a sling.

"I'll try to get you out of general population," Adams suggested. He didn't feel much sympathy for Scott Weatherton. The way he saw it, Weatherton deserved that beating and more, but he kept his mouth shut. He was being paid – and handsomely – to disprove the DA's case, not teach Scott Weatherton the appropriate treatment of women.

"I want out of this whole damn place, not out of general," Weatherton snarled. "Do your fucking job and get me the hell out of this hole."

"The judge already denied bail. You're not getting another bail hearing." Adams pointed out.

"Then work your legal magic and tell them how much danger I'm in and get me on house arrest. Speaking of legal magic, what are you doing about the damn assault charges in Dallas?" Scott sat back in his chair and stared down Clayton Adams, waiting for an answer.

"The assistant DA won't drop the charges. After the trial here, you'll make a trip back to Dallas for the trial there. And let me tell you, that one doesn't look good, Scott."

"Oh, come on, Clayton, what the hell am I paying you for? Tell them it was self-defense."

"Scott, the girl is five foot nothing. Nobody is going to believe it was self defense."

"Yeah, but she's a damn ranger. They know all kinds of karate and ninja stuff. And don't forget, her boyfriend jumped me, too. You are going to go after him, too, right?"

"Scott, there's a video of your ex after you beat the hell out of her. Your prints are all over her service weapon. It's really bad news for you. Plus there were video cameras all through that parking garage. There is no way you're getting off on the assault charges. And I saw the interrogation room video of her boyfriend coming after you. Honestly, other than wrinkling up your dry cleaning, there's really nothing there worth wasting the paper to file on. He didn't hit you. He just scared you. Now if you want me to go after him for cleaning charges after you shit your pants, well, I might be able to get you a few bucks and a roll of toilet paper, but honestly, Scott, compared to the heap of trouble you are already in, going after Francis Gage isn't going to do squat to help your cause," Clayton explained. He was starting to wish Gage had hit Scott. Not because he wanted to bust Gage on assault charges, but because Clayton was starting to think that Scott deserved every beating he could get. Clayton Adams had defended a lot of slimy characters in his time, but he just could not abide somebody who beat up on women or children and Scott Weatherton was pushing him to his limits.

"So what about house arrest?" Weatherton reminded him.

"I'll file a motion and see what happens, but if I were you, I wouldn't hold my breath and I'd learn to fight," Clayton Adams replied as he knocked on the door, signaling to the guard that their meeting was over.

* * *

"Sydney, have you ever heard of 'post-traumatic stress disorder'?" Laurie Kim sat across from Sydney in an overstuffed blue chair that matched the one Sydney sat in. Her office was nothing Sydney had imagined a therapist's office to look like. Instead of being dimly-lit and full of dark, heavy furniture and the requisite therapist's couch, Laurie's office looked and felt more like a friend's living room. It was painted a cheery yellow with bright, colorful paintings on the walls, brightly upholstered furniture, and fresh flowers in a vase on a white table with a crackled finish. Laurie even had an office cat, Murphy, who was curled up in a sunny spot on a window sill, purring loudly. Laurie herself seemed more like a friend a person could talk to over a cup of coffee instead of a doctor. She wore a long denim skirt, a pale pink top with a lavender scarf draped around her neck, and tan sandals that she kicked off when she curled her legs under her when she sat down to talk to Sydney. Sydney felt instantly comfortable, much to her surprise.

"I've heard about it, but I'm not sure how it pertains to me," Sydney replied honestly.

"When somebody goes through a traumatic experience, much like you have, and they try to push it out of their mind and get back to their normal life and routine, sometimes that trauma manifests itself in different ways. It makes normal life hard to adjust to. People have nightmares, things that never bothered them before cause them a lot of stress. Think of soldiers returning from war. They can find it hard getting back into their usual day-to-day. Loud noises may be particularly disturbing for them, disorder may be disturbing. Things they used to manage with no problem are now big deals. That's what post-traumatic stress disorder can do."

Sydney nodded. It made sense to her.

"In your case, I think the nightmares are definitely a manifestation of the trauma you've been through starting back before you left El Paso. The stress of having a miscarriage. The stress of your ex-husband's abuse and his threat to find you. And definitely what just happened to you. I think we need to work on some kind of relaxation techniques and you need to find a way to keep reminding yourself that he is nowhere near here, that he is in prison and that you are safe. Once those techniques and reminders take hold, I think you'll see a significant decrease in the nightmares."

"That would be wonderful," Sydney said, relieved.

"As for reading the case files and watching all the violent movies, I understand you want to feel there are worse things out there in the world. There may be worse things, but there are a lot of good things, too, and I want you to focus on the good. I want you to try to keep a journal. Nothing fancy, just a little notebook where you write down something good that you notice in each day. Focus on the good, Sydney. Not the terrible and the scary. That may also help your nightmares, too. When you start noticing and thinking about the good things, that's what your subconscious zeroes in on. Does that make sense?"

Sydney nodded. "It does."

"Let's give it a try. Tell me one good thing you've thought of today." Laurie uncurled her legs and leaned forward toward Sydney, encouraging her to respond.

Sydney thought for a while. "Gage," she answered.

"Gage?" Laurie asked.

"Yes. He has been so good to me. He's dealt with my nightmares and my all but moving in to his apartment and he hasn't complained even though I know it has to have been a complete disruption of his entire life. I appreciate everything he's done for me. He's the most wonderful part of my life. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Laurie smiled. "Are you two involved or is he a romantic interest?"

"We were once, before I moved to El Paso. We were co-workers and we will be again once I get back to work. We're, well, I guess you can say we're somewhere around best friends now," Sydney replied, surprised to notice she was blushing a little.

"And does he know how you feel?" Laurie pressed.

Sydney took a deep breath and looked away sheepishly.

"I see. And why not, Sydney?"

"We had a really rough start when I came back from El Paso. There was a really ugly breakup before I left here five years ago. It took some time for us, him especially, to get past things. I guess I just don't want to rock the boat too much considering all he's done for me."

"That's understandable. But I do think you should at least tell him how much you appreciate all he's done because I can tell he's a very special person to you."

"He is," Sydney blushed. "He is."

* * *

Sydney paced Gage's small kitchen nervously. "So I'll be here by myself?"

"Syd, it's just one night. You'll be okay." Gage reassured her. Gage, Bobbie, and Alex were flying to El Paso to testify for the El Paso county district attorney at a hearing on Scott Weatherton's request to be released on house arrest. Gage didn't tell Sydney that was the reason he was going. He said the DA wanted another round of depositions.

"I don't understand why they didn't ask for me to be there," Sydney was puzzled.

"Alex has the video you made. Apparently it answers all the questions they have. And besides, you haven't been cleared to fly yet."

"Don't remind me. I'm not even allowed to drive," Sydney replied sullenly.

"Just a matter of time, Shorty. Be patient."

"Are you sure it's just one night?"

Gage stopped Sydney in mid-pace, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Baby, listen. We fly out early tomorrow morning. It should only take a few hours to take care of things. If we can, I will push to fly back tomorrow night, but if not, we will get the first flight out of there Thursday morning. I'll be back here as soon as I can, and I will call you the second we land and every chance I get. If you need anything, you can call Walker or Jimmy and Erika. You will be fine here. Okay?"

"Yeah." Sydney let out a long sigh and rested her head against Gage's chest. She was fine to stay by herself during the day, but the idea of being by herself even for one night had her panicked. She tried to remember Laurie Kim's suggestion to think of good and positive things, but right now, there wasn't anything good or positive about Gage leaving even for a night.

"You'll be okay. I know you will." Gage kissed the top of Sydney's head. "I have to get packed and get to sleep. I have to be up early."

Sydney didn't sleep that night. When Gage's alarm clock went off at four the next morning, she was still wide awake and bleary-eyed.

"You didn't have a nightmare last night," Gage noted, sounding hopeful.

"That's because I didn't sleep last night."

"Oh, Syd. One night. I promise. That's all the time I'm giving them and then I'll be right back here with you." Gage cupped Sydney's chin in his hand and tipped her face up to his. "One night. Okay?"

Sydney managed a weak smile in reply.

"That's my girl." Gage brushed a kiss across her lips. "I gotta go. Alex and Bobbie will both kill me if I'm late. I'll call you when I get to the airport and when we land and I'll see you as soon as I can." Gage kissed her again before he walked out the door. Sydney locked the door behind him and double-checked the locks. She leaned against the door and fought the tears that threatened to fall.

* * *

Alex, Bobbie, and Gage sat at the gate waiting to board their flight. Alex was seething.

"I can't believe his attorney has the nerve to request house arrest! House arrest is for non-violent offenders, not murderers."

"What brought all this on, anyhow?" Bobbie asked.

"Apparently, some of the other inmates are giving Scott a rough time. He got beat up pretty bad a couple weeks ago and Clayton Adams requested that Scott be placed on house arrest for his own safety. That took a lot of nerve considering what he did to Sydney."

"No kidding," Gage huffed. "Poor Scott. I say leave him in general population, sounds like the other inmates are doing a good job with him." Gage didn't even try to disguise the sarcasm in his comment or his voice.

In the courtroom in El Paso, Clayton Adams addressed the court, describing how Scott Weatherton had been put in danger in prison and that house arrest was the only option he had in order to remain safe. He detailed the injuries Scott had sustained in the attacks from the other inmates and argued that the attacks would continue unless Scott was placed on house arrest. Gage clenched his fists in anger. Scott was never concerned about Sydney's safety, he thought.

 _Keep it in check, son. Let the court handle it. You get in trouble out here, you'll have a really tough time explaining to her why you're not back in one day._

Alex showed Sydney's video and Gage and Bobbie both testified about what happened the day Scott showed up at ranger headquarters. Gage also told the court how Scott had gotten into Sydney's apartment by pretending to be a security systems salesman and had left a rose on her pillow. All three told the judge on Sydney's behalf that they felt that allowing Scott out of prison would be a horrible mistake and would put Sydney's life in danger. The district attorney argued that even on house arrest, Scott was a flight risk, and given the testimonies from Gage, Bobbie, and Alex, it was almost guaranteed that Scott would head back to Dallas the second he was off of prison grounds. Sitting at the defense table, Scott Weatherton stared down Alex and the two rangers, especially Gage, who stared back.

"Why is Ms. Cooke not here to testify?" the judge asked.

Alex handed the district attorney a file containing a report from Sydney's doctor, which he passed along to the judge.

"Your honor," Alex addressed the judge, "the injuries she sustained at the hands of Mr. Weatherton were so severe that she is still unable to travel. That is the purpose of the video."

"I see." The judge looked at the report from Sydney's doctor. "We'll recess until two o'clock and I'll give my ruling then."

Everyone stood and filed out of the courtroom. Alex, Bobbie, and Gage stopped to talk to the district attorney. Just across the aisle, Scott Weatherton stood and waited for the prison guard to cuff him and take him to a holding cell. As Gage walked by, Scott lunged at him, grabbing him around the neck. Gage acted on reflex, delivering an elbow hard to Scott's gut before spinning around and punching him in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

* * *

Gage sat on a bench in the hallway outside the courtroom, his head in his hands. "I can't believe I did that."

"Gage, that was clearly self-defense," Alex said. "Even the bailiff said so. I don't think you hurt the DA's case. Scott just proved himself how dangerous he is."

"I hope so, Alex. If he gets out of jail, that puts Syd in danger. If anything happens to her because of something I did, I would never forgive myself."

"Let's not worry about that right now, Gage," Alex tried to reassure her friend. "Let's wait and see what the judge has to say."

When court reconvened at two, the judge looked over a few pages of notes before he spoke.

"I understand we had some excitement here when we recessed. Would defending counsel please approach the bench?"

Clayton Adams stood in front of the judge knowing that this was not going to be good for him or his client. "Yes, your honor," he spoke, feeling like a kid about to get paddled by the principal for misbehaving in class.

"I don't know what was behind that stunt your client pulled, but I won't tolerate that behavior in my courtroom. You keep your client under control. And if you even think of filing any kind of charges against Ranger Gage on behalf of your client, I promise you, I will have you disbarred so fast, it'll take a year for the dust to settle and you won't be able to get a job shelving books in a law library. Am I clear?"

"Yes, your honor." Clayton Adams couldn't wait to have a conference with Scott Weatherton over this one. It was pretty hard to defend somebody who insisted on sealing his own miserable fate.

Adams returned to the defense table and the judge spoke. "I see that the defendant has proven that he has violent tendencies, and given his behavior here today, I really can't understand why he can't fend for himself in whatever situations he's managed to get himself into during his incarceration. For that reason and the reasons presented by the district attorney, I see no other option than to deny the motion to grant house arrest."

A collective sigh of relief went up from the district attorney, Alex, Bobbie, and Gage. Scott Weatherton slouched in his chair.

Clayton Adams looked at his client. "Going after the ranger wasn't your smartest idea. Thanks to that dumb stunt, you're probably looking at life without parole at best. From here on out, you leave the thinking part of this operation to me."

* * *

Gage was able to get the last seat on a late flight back to Dallas. It would put him back home around one in the morning, but it was worth it to him to get back to Sydney. He knew she'd be thrilled to see him. While he waited to board, he bought flowers for her – pink roses and lilies – and gave Sydney a call to let her know he'd be home soon. He could hear how happy she was.

"I'll wait up for you," Sydney told him, her smile coming across the phone connection.

"You don't have to do that. It'll be late. I got a late flight."

"I don't care how late it is. I want to see you."

"I'll see you soon, Shorty."

Gage got home to find Sydney asleep on the couch, case files scattered on the floor next to her. He smiled when he saw she was wearing one of his button-down shirts, the dark green one he had been wearing just the day before.

 _I hate to tell you, she looks better in your shirts than you do._

Gage gently shook her awake. "I thought you were going to wait up for me," he teased.

"I did," Sydney replied, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"I see that," Gage laughed. He handed Sydney the flowers and watched as a big smile spread across her face.

But later that night, Sydney woke with another nightmare. Gage held her until she fell asleep again; all the while thinking how glad he was that he was able to get that late flight home to be there for her and wishing that there was something he could do to stop the nightmares that tortured her every night.

* * *

Alex called the next morning before she even boarded her flight back to Dallas. Gage grabbed for his phone before it woke Sydney and eased out of bed and into the hall to take the call. Before he got off the phone, Sydney was awake and standing in the bedroom doorway, her arms crossed around her waist, wrapping Gage's shirt tight around her small frame.

"Everything okay?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Syd, come here and sit down," Gage motioned to the couch. He pushed the case files out of the way, frowning at the pictures of two stabbing victims in the file Sydney had last been reading before he closed the file and added it to the top of the stack.

"What's wrong?" Sydney looked worried. "Oh dear God, he escaped, didn't he?" Her dark eyes went wild with panic and Gage could see her start to tremble.

"No, no, it's nothing like that, Syd." Gage waited for Sydney to sit down on the couch before he continued.

"That was Alex. She's just coming back from El Paso this morning. Syd, Scott Weatherton hung himself in his jail cell last night. He's dead."

Sydney's eyes and mouth went wide, yet she didn't say anything. She just stared at Gage for several long, long moments.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"Alex said the DA called her and then she saw it on TV at the airport. She said it's all over the news out there. Syd, it's all over. He's gone. He can't hurt you ever again."

Sydney just sat at the very edge of the couch, blinking slowly, trying to process what Gage had just told her. "Let me talk to Alex," she said quietly.

"Syd, she's about to get on a plane."

"Maybe she hasn't boarded yet. Try calling her."

Gage dialed Alex's number and handed the phone to Sydney. Alex answered breathlessly, "Gage, I'm just boarding. Is everything –"

"Alex, it's Sydney. Is it true? Is he dead?"

"Oh, Sydney, I'm sorry! I thought it was Gage. Yes. Yes, it is true. He's gone. He's dead."

"Thank you, Alex." Sydney disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Gage. She sat in silence for another few moments and then buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

Gage was completely perplexed. Why was she crying over a monster that beat the hell out of her? He moved next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Syd, what's wrong? Why are you crying? You can't possibly be sad that son-of-a-bitch is dead, can you?"

Syd's thin shoulders shook with sobs. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before she spoke. "I'm so relieved," she finally replied. "He's gone and I'll never have to worry about him again."

 _And you thought she was crazy for a moment, there, didn't you?_

Gage hugged Sydney and kissed her hair, her forehead, every place he could, tasting her salty tears. "No, baby, you won't ever have to worry about him ever again. It's all over."

Sydney's tears slowed to a stop and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She placed a hand on either side of Gage's face and looked into his ocean-blue eyes. Before Gage could say anything, she leaned in and kissed him with a passion and urgency he never expected. The last time she had done something like that was that night at CD's after Alex and Walker's wedding. It had thrown him for a loop then and it threw him for a loop now.

 _Damn. And you have to go to work. She's got some killer timing, doesn't she?_

Now it was Gage's turn to be speechless.

Sydney just smiled. "I have my life back. You have no idea how good that feels."

"I think I have a pretty good idea," he replied, as he weighed the pros and cons of calling off work.

* * *

Gage called Sydney from work a few hours later. "What are you doing?" he asked. His mind was still reeling from that kiss earlier that morning, but that wasn't the reason for his call.

"I'm boxing up all those case files. You can take them back to Ellen tomorrow. I think I'm done with them. And I want to go to the grocery store tonight. I saw most delicious-looking chicken on a show on the Food channel and I want to try to make it, but you don't have anything in your kitchen."

Gage was amazed at how cheerful and lighthearted Sydney sounded. Had he known that Scott Weatherton's death was all it would take to bring around this much of a change to her, he might have thought a little more seriously about offing the guy himself, or at least hiring a hit man. He chuckled at the thought.

 _You aren't totally serious about that, are you? Are you?_

"You're watching the Food channel?" Gage asked. He was stunned and pleased. At least she wasn't watching something about serial killers or mass murderers, although that _Iron Chef_ guy was a little scary. Gage was pretty sure he had some violent tendencies, but as long as he contained them to a side of beef or a chicken, it was definitely an improvement over Sydney's recent television choices.

"I am," Sydney replied. "It's fascinating! Maybe I should have been a chef."

"Listen, Syd, I'm going to pick you up in about twenty minutes. I have a surprise for you. You don't have to get all dressed up for it, just be dressed and ready to go in twenty, okay?"

"Gage, what are you up to?" Sydney asked suspiciously.

"It's a surprise. You'll find out in just a bit. Twenty minutes, Shorty." Gage disconnected the call.

* * *

As Gage drove across town, it was hard to say who was more excited about his surprise. They were both as antsy as kids on Christmas Eve.

"Where are we going?" Sydney asked for the fifth time in fifteen minutes.

"You'll see," Gage grinned. "In fact, you should be figuring it out any second."

Sydney looked around, taking in the houses they were driving by. It suddenly dawned on her that they were driving through her old neighborhood. Gage turned down her old street and went just a couple of blocks when Sydney recognized the craftsman-style bungalow that had once been hers.

And then she saw the 'For Sale' sign in the front yard.

"My house!" she exclaimed in delight. "And it's for sale!"

Gage parked the orange Chevelle in front of the house like he had so many times before. Sydney dug in her pocket for her cell phone to call the realtor.

"No need to do that, Syd. I already called. The realtor is going to meet us here any minute."

Sydney looked at Gage with a smile that spread from ear to ear. She opened the car door bounced out of the car and up the porch steps where she tried to peek into the windows.

"Syd, maybe you should wait for the realtor?" Gage laughed.

"I hope they didn't change too much of it. I loved that pink bathroom and the red and white kitchen."

Gage met her on the porch. "So, I take it you're happy about this?"

"Oh, my goodness, yes! Not that I don't like staying with you, because I do, but I always loved this little house, and I was so sad when I had to sell it. How did you find out it was for sale?"

"Trivette and I were over here the other day to interview a witness in those ATM heists. I saw it then. I wanted to tell you, but I really wanted to surprise you."

"You definitely did that."

Sydney sat down on the porch steps. Gage sat down next to her and took her hand.

"Syd, I know we got off to a rocky start when you got back, but I am so glad you're here. I don't know how you feel about things, but I definitely know how I feel, and I think we deserve another chance. I want us to start over. I know we have a long road ahead of us, but I know, too, that we can make this work. I'm willing to fight for us. I love you, Syd. I never stopped loving you. What do you say?"

Sydney didn't say anything for what felt like an eternity to Gage.

"Syd? You're scaring me here. Say something, anything, please?"

Finally, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. After a moment, she looked up at him and smiled. "You don't know how happy it made me to hear you say that."

"Really?"

"Really. And I don't think we have as long and rough of a road ahead of us as you're worried about. When I came back to Dallas, I had this little, tiny hope that maybe we could start over. But things didn't go so well at first and I was content to settle for just friends. I've never stopped loving you, either, Gage. You've owned my heart from the day I met you. You'll always own my heart. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm just sorry it took something so awful to make me realize just how much I do love you."

Gage leaned down to kiss Sydney just as the realtor pulled in behind Gage's car.

"Damn," he hissed. "I'm getting a kiss. As soon as she leaves, Syd. I'm getting a kiss."

* * *

Gage woke up the next morning before his alarm went off to find Sydney curled up under his arm, her head tucked in that spot under his shoulder where she fit so perfectly. It dawned on him that she had slept through the night without waking up from one of her nightmares. He switched off the alarm clock and watched her sleep, toying with her hair and occasionally planting kisses on the top of her head. Sydney woke up and yawned, snuggling closer to Gage. They stayed that way for a long time before Gage spoke.

"Guess what, baby?" he whispered.

She looked up at him, her eyes still sleepy.

"You didn't wake up last night."

Sydney looked puzzled.

"You didn't have a nightmare last night."

Sydney raised herself up on an elbow and looked at Gage. "No, I didn't." She sounded shocked, and then a slow smile spread across her face. "You know, I think we should celebrate."

"Oh? And just what are we celebrating?" Gage asked.

Sydney sat up. "I bought a house." She leaned over and kissed Gage, running her tongue lightly over his lips. "And I didn't have any nightmares last night." She kissed him again, her mouth hot against his, then kissing along his jaw and his neck, moving to straddle him as she did. "And best of all, I love you." She ran her hand down his chest and leaned forward to kiss him again, her hair falling forward and tickling his face. Gage gently pushed her hair behind her ear and brushed his thumb across her cheek.

"I love you, too, Syd. We have a lot to celebrate, don't we?" Gage looked up at Sydney, taking in the view; Sydney in his burgundy button-down shirt and little else, her hair a mess. He wrapped one hand in Sydney's hair and drew her to him to kiss her, teasing his tongue between her lips. With the other hand, he started to work the buttons on his shirt. In moments, he had them both undressed and could only focus on the feel of Sydney's skin against his.

"You drive me absolutely crazy, do you know that?" Gage's voice was low and husky with desire.

"That's the idea," Sydney let Gage guide her on to him. He took hold of her hips, grinding her against him, listening to her cries of pleasure.

"You feel so good, Syd," Gage whispered. When he couldn't hold back any longer, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up without slipping from inside her, turning her so she was now underneath him. Slow, controlled motions became frenzied and passionate. Sydney held tight, arching her back and drawing him farther inside, her breathless response tipping Gage over the edge to his own finish. Afterwards, they lay tangled up together, completely satisfied.

"We need to find more things to celebrate, and more often," Gage said, running his hands over Sydney's soft skin and kissing her gently.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Sydney replied, returning each kiss. "I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of things to celebrate."


	12. Chapter 12

Gage scrambled to catch some of the collection of bottles and tiny boxes before they crashed from the counter to the bathroom floor. "Damn it, Syd!" he mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste. He really couldn't complain, though. It was his idea that Sydney give up her apartment. It didn't make sense for her to pay rent on a place she didn't stay at, especially when she'd have a mortgage payment before too long.

Sydney appeared at the bathroom doorway, pulling a blue blouse on over a lacy pink bra.

 _Well, that certainly isn't going to get you two out of here and to work on time._

"What's wrong?" she asked, buttoning her blouse and tucking it into a pair of slim-fitting black pants. She smoothed the blouse over her petite body. Gage spat out the mouthful of toothpaste and rinsed out his mouth, trying to think of anything but the very suggestive motion she probably didn't realize she had just made.

"When do you close on your house?" he asked, meeting her in the doorway and pulling her into a hug. "Not that I'm kicking you out, because I am definitely not, and not because I want you to think I don't like having you around because I love –" He paused to kiss her, "love having you here. But Syd, this place is definitely not big enough for two people. Especially not this bathroom." Gage motioned to the bathroom floor where several containers of makeup, hair products, and lotions lay scattered.

"I'm sorry, hon," Sydney smiled sweetly, standing on tiptoe to kiss Gage on the cheek. "I'll clean all that up and find a new place for everything. Right now, we better go or you'll be late."

"I'll be late? You're getting there at the same time."

"Yeah, but Trivette won't be calling me to tell me how late I am," Sydney teased.

After what seemed like forever, Sydney had finally been cleared to go back to work and was thrilled to get out of Gage's small apartment during the day and back to working on cases. To make things even better, the nightmares that had tortured her constantly since her return to Dallas had finally relented. She still had them from time to time, but not every night. Gage would wake up in the middle of the night expecting to find Sydney sitting up in bed, her eyes wild with panic as she tried to separate her nightmare from reality. Instead, he would find her sleeping peacefully next to him, her arm draped over his chest. She was more and more like the old Syd, the one he knew before El Paso and Scott Weatherton had changed her, broken her. She was healing now, and happy. They were happy, and Gage intended to do everything in his power to keep things that way.

"Do you think we have time to stop for coffee?" Gage asked.

"Only if we leave five minutes ago," Sydney pushed Gage out the door ahead of her, closing and locking the door behind her and following him downstairs to his car.

* * *

"Gage, you have to pull over." Sydney had no idea why she felt so sick all of a sudden. The smell of coffee wafting through the car only made it worse. How had she been able to drink that stuff when she lived here? Gage pulled the car off the side of the road, spinning tires in the loose gravel on the shoulder. Sydney barely got the door open and the seat belt off before she leaned out of the passenger side and threw up. She then took both cups of coffee and dumped them out on the side of the road.

"What the hell, Syd! Those were two cups of the best coffee in the entire Dallas-Fort Worth area!" Gage protested loudly.

Sydney set the empty cups on the floor of the Chevelle and leaned back in the seat. Her face was pale.

"Syd, are you okay? You don't look so hot." Gage's indignation over losing his cup of coffee was suddenly forgotten, replaced by concern for the well-being of his partner.

"I'm okay. Just give me a minute."

"Do you want me to take you back home?"

"No. Give me a minute and I'll be fine," Sydney replied. Whatever had upset her stomach seemed to have passed and she was starting to feel better. It must have been the coffee, she thought. Now that she couldn't smell it, her stomach was starting to settle.

"Okay, Syd, but if you need –"

"Drive, Gage. We're going to be late."

Gage kept a careful eye on Sydney the rest of the morning. By mid-morning she seemed fine, even suggesting they grab lunch from a taco truck by the park down the street. Gage was really surprised when she ordered two burritos instead of her usual one, and when she asked for them with everything on them instead of being picky about the toppings. Maybe she really was okay.

 _Don't even bother trying to figure her out. If you haven't done it by now, it's never gonna happen._

* * *

Sydney had no idea how she managed to get through the rest of the week. She had no idea why she was so tired all the time. All she could figure was that it was from all the time she was off work. It was Saturday and she was thankful for the chance to sleep in, especially since it was raining. She could hear the rain beating a soft and steady rhythm against the bedroom window. Sydney buried her head under the pillow. Just another few minutes of sleep, she thought. Or an hour. An hour would be perfect and then she'd get up and worry about all the things she needed to get done: picking out paint colors and some new furniture for her house, laundry, grocery shopping. Just one more hour.

She heard Gage rattling around in the kitchen, making breakfast. So much for sleep, she thought. He was the only person she knew that was able to cook with all the subtlety of a full-blown Fourth of July parade complete with floats and clowns. And that was just making toast in all its various forms. God help him if he ever did any serious cooking, Syd thought. She tossed the blankets off and groaned as she sat up, looking around for a pair of sweats to put on under Gage's t-shirt.

"Good morning," Sydney stood on tiptoe to give Gage a good morning kiss. Breakfast looked like it was a major production, as she noticed two different loaves of bread, butter, jelly and various plates and pieces of cutlery scattered across the kitchen counter. "What's going on out here?" she asked sleepily, opening the cabinet to find a glass and then padding to the refrigerator to pour some juice. After the other morning, she was avoiding coffee like the plague.

"Good morning, pretty girl. This morning's special is raisin toast." Gage noticed Sydney wrinkle her nose and then remembered that she didn't like raisins. "Or toast with grape jelly, or cinnamon toast if you'd rather have that. Whatever you like."

"Grape jelly is fine," Sydney answered, leaning against the counter and sipping her juice. Gage fixed two slices of toast with grape jelly for her and dropped two slices of raisin bread in the toaster for himself.

"That toast is burning," Sydney warned.

"No it's not. It's fine."

"Gage, it's burning, I can smell – oh, God!" Sydney clamped her hands over her mouth and ran to the bathroom.

"I don't get what is so offensive about toast," Gage muttered, pretty much to himself as Sydney had left the room. He could hear her in the bathroom down the hall, losing what little breakfast she did eat. "It's fine, it's not…" Gage pressed the button on the side of the toaster and two blackened slices of bread popped up. "It's burnt. How the hell do you do that, Syd?"

Gage dropped the burned slices of bread into the trash and went down the hall to check on Sydney. He found her sitting on the floor next to the toilet, her face pale and clammy-looking. He ran a washcloth under cold water and wrung it out. Kneeling on the floor next to her, he wiped off her face and then held the cold cloth against the back of her neck.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sydney replied, but her voice was shaky.

"You know, Syd, back when I was in high school, I played football. I got my bell rung pretty hard during a game. I was done for the season, and it took me months before I started feeling anywhere back to normal. "

Sydney looked at him quizzically. Gage realized she didn't understand what he was talking about.

"I think you need to call the doctor, Syd. You had a really nasty concussion, and maybe this being sick all the time is a side effect from it. Whatever it is, it's not normal, so call him? Please?"

Sydney smiled weakly and nodded. Gage helped her up and back to bed. Another hour or two of sleep didn't sound like a bad way to spend a rainy Saturday morning, so he snuggled up behind her and pulled her close against him.

"This feels so nice," Sydney murmured sleepily.

"Yes, it does."

"I have a feeling I'm not going to get a damn thing done today."

"Tell me, what did you have to do that could be in any way better than laying here in my arms and listening to the rain?" Gage asked, kissing the back of her neck.

"Mmm. Nothing I can think of right now," Sydney could barely keep her eyes open.

"Well, then. I think we solved that problem," Gage said, realizing that Sydney was sound asleep.

* * *

On Monday, Sydney decided Gage was right and she should call the doctor. She had another episode on Sunday that she didn't tell him about. He was outside changing oil in the Chevelle when it happened. She could barely move without him jumping up to follow her as it was, and if he knew she had spent a large part of Sunday morning puking her guts out again, he probably would have carried her to the emergency room.

Now, she was sitting on hold, waiting for the receptionist to come back on the line to schedule an appointment for her. As she waited, she flipped through her calendar to make sure what days she had open. As she did, a realization hit her. She started paging back through her calendar and doing some quick figuring in her mind.

Instead of the receptionist, a nurse came on the line, talking about scheduling an MRI and giving Sydney instructions on who she needed to call. Sydney barely heard a word she said. It had suddenly become clear to her why she was so sick all the time, and she knew it had nothing to do with a concussion, and probably everything to do with one particular night spent with Gage after Walker and Captain Briscoe's party.

"I'm sorry," Sydney told the nurse. "I'm going to need to call back." Sydney hung up the phone. Her stomach was feeling queasy again, but this time it was from a mix of nerves and excitement.

"Hey, Shorty, want to go to CD's for lunch?" Gage asked from his desk across the aisle.

"Ah, you know what, Alex mentioned something about going to lunch and maybe checking out a new shop that just opened. But you should go with Walker and Trivette."

"Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. A little male bonding time. That'll be good. Thanks, Syd." Gage smiled at her as he stood to collect Walker and Trivette and head to CD's.

Sydney called Alex's office. Alex picked up the phone on the second ring. "Alex Cahill-Walker."

"Alex, it's Syd. Please tell me you aren't doing anything for lunch."

"I'm not, why?"

"Because now you are. I need a favor."

Sydney stood in front of the family planning display at the local chain drugstore trying to figure out which home pregnancy test would be the easiest to read and the most accurate. When she told Alex her suspicions on the way to the store, Alex was so thrilled, she nearly ran her car off the road.

Sydney grabbed two pink boxes off the shelf.

"Sydney, you do realize there are two tests in each box, right?" Alex pointed out with a smile.

"I know, Alex. I need to be absolutely sure before I say anything."

"Well, that ought to do it," Alex said, looking at the boxes in Sydney's hand and laughing.

Sydney began reading the instructions on the way back to work. "Geez, do I really have to wait until tomorrow morning?" she complained.

"Given all your symptoms, and the fact you have four tests, I'd say you can probably give one a try this evening," Alex reassured her friend.

The look Sydney shot Alex said that she was too anxious to wait until that evening.

"Tell you what. I have a private bathroom in my office. Why don't you come upstairs when you're ready to find out?" Alex took the plastic shopping bag from Sydney, dropped the open box and directions in it and stuffed everything in her purse. "I'll see you in a little bit."

A little while later, Sydney went to Alex's office. Alex wordlessly handed Sydney the plastic bag and pointed her toward the restroom. Several minutes later, Sydney opened the door. She walked over to Alex's desk and sat down across from her.

"Well?" Alex asked. "One line or two?"

"Two."

Alex jumped out her chair and circled her desk to hug her best friend. "Oh, my goodness, Sydney! I am so happy for you!"

Sydney didn't move. She sat motionless and expressionless as she tried to process what she had found out.

"Sydney, are you okay?" Alex sat down in the chair next to Sydney and took Sydney's hands in hers. "This is a good thing, isn't it?"

"I don't know, Alex. I mean, it's wonderful, it really is, but I lost two babies already. What if I lose this one, too?"

"Oh, Syd," Alex said sympathetically. "I know you're worried. How far along were you when you miscarried?"

"About eight weeks or so each time."

"And how far along do you think you are now?"

"I know exactly how far I am. Just a little over 8 weeks." Sydney replied.

"So far, so good, right?" Alex chirped cheerfully, trying to reassure her friend. "Syd, you have to tell Gage, and the sooner the better. Let him be there for you through this."

"I know, Alex. I'm just so afraid of what might happen."

* * *

Four pregnancy tests, all positive. Sydney couldn't get more absolutely sure than that, she thought. She lined the tests up on the bathroom counter along with one of the boxes. She eased back into bed next to Gage and tried to go back to sleep, but her mind was racing. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach. "Stay there and keep growing, little one," she whispered. "Stay there."

Syd heard Gage get up and go into the bathroom. She waited and listened. She heard the water running in the shower and then heard it shut off, and then she heard Gage complaining loudly.

"Oh, come on, Syd. There's not enough room in here for you to be leaving –" Gage began, and then there was silence.

"Syd. Syd?" Gage came back into the bedroom holding one of the tests and the empty box. "There's four of these on the counter," he held up the test. "And according to what this says," he waved the box in the air, "if there are two lines…" He didn't say anything more.

Sydney sat up and hugged her knees to her chest and smiled. "If there are two lines, it's positive."

"And positive means?" Gage asked, choking out the words. His throat had suddenly gone very dry.

"Positive means I'm pregnant." Sydney announced, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"Oh… my…" Gage looked a little dazed. "Are you serious?" He sat down on the bed next to her.

"Gage, how many more of those tests do you need to see?" Sydney laughed, curling her arms around his neck. "I'm absolutely serious. And just a little over eight weeks into this from what I can figure." She planted a kiss on his lips and rested her forehead against his. "Gage, you're going to be a daddy."

 _Holy shit._

Gage was completely in shock. He hadn't expected anything like this and he had no idea what to say. He knew he had to say something. Sydney had pulled away from him and looked almost on the verge of tears.

"Gage, if you can't say you're happy about this, at least say you're okay with it for now. I know it's a shock. "

A baby, he thought. His baby. Their baby. A second chance at what they had both lost when Syd had gone to El Paso.

 _Not everybody gets a second chance at everything they always wanted, you know._

"Oh, Syd!" Gage wrapped her up in his arms and hugged her to him. "Of course I'm happy! I'm so happy! I'm just so surprised. I never expected this."

"You and me both," Sydney replied. "Gage?"

"What, Shorty?"

"I'm really scared. I don't want to lose this baby."

"I know. I'm scared, too, Syd," Gage pulled her close, resting his hand on her stomach. He kissed the top of her head. "But whatever happens, we'll get through this together."

* * *

Sydney and Gage sat next to each other waiting for the doctor to come in with the test results that would make it official. Gage tapped his fingers on the arm of the wooden chair.

"Stop that," Sydney said, covering his hand with hers to make him quit tapping.

"I can't help it, Syd. I'm nervous."

"You're nervous. You don't have a baby growing in your body." Sydney's stomach was starting to feel queasy again and she started looking around for a trash can in case she didn't think she could make a quick enough escape to the rest room.

They both jumped when the door opened and the doctor walked in. He sat down at the desk across from them and opened up a file folder.

"Congratulations," the doctor said, smiling broadly. "You're pregnant, but I suspect you already knew that."

Sydney nodded.

"And it looks like your due date is early March. Now, looking at your chart, Ms. Cooke, this is your third pregnancy? But your first two didn't go to term?"

Gage reached over and squeezed Sydney's hand.

"No," Sydney answered. "I miscarried both times, roughly at about eight weeks each time. What are the chances of that happening again?"

The doctor took his glasses off and set them down on the desk. "Ms. Cooke, I'm not going to lie to you. Your history does put you at high risk, but that does not mean you can't have a full-term pregnancy and a healthy baby. Since you are just past the eight-week mark, I'd say you're off to a good start, but we will need to monitor you much more closely than we would somebody who doesn't have your history and we'll just need to be much more careful about things. Now, what type of work do you do?"

"I'm a Texas ranger."

The doctor pressed his lips together into a hard line. "That's some pretty strenuous work, Ms. Cooke. Given your history, the physical exertion could be rather dangerous. Is there any way you could go on desk duty?"

"I'll definitely request it," Sydney said. At that point, she thought, she'd quit working if it meant not losing the baby she wanted so badly.

"My only other concern is any possible weight loss due to morning sickness. You'll need to be very careful with that as well, and try keep up a healthy diet. The morning sickness has been a problem?"

"Try morning, noon, and night sickness," Sydney quipped. "All it takes is the smell of something to set me off."

"That's absolutely normal around eight weeks. There are a lot of things you can try. Ginger, peppermint, saltines, eating smaller meals throughout the day. Those are just a few things. I'll have the nurse give you a paper with some remedies you can try. She'll also set up an appointment for you in the next few weeks for your first ultrasound. And Ms. Cooke? Don't worry. We're going to do all we can to make sure this pregnancy goes to term."

Sydney was very quiet in the car after meeting with the doctor, much quieter than she should have been, Gage thought, so he pulled in to the first parking lot he saw – at a Kroger store – and shut the car off.

"What's wrong, Syd? I thought everything went okay."

"Yeah. I felt better after talking to the doctor. At least I know this little one stands somewhat of a chance," Sydney rubbed her hand over her still-flat stomach.

"Then what's wrong? You haven't said a single word since we left the doctor's office."

"Gage, what is Walker going to think? I just got back to work, and now I'm going to go in and tell him I need to be on desk duty. You're stuck without a partner again, and I'm pretty much worthless as a ranger. I don't want to lose my job."

 _Don't go there. Whatever you do. This is her decision, not yours. If five years didn't teach you a damn thing, it had better have taught you to keep your mouth shut about this, son._

"Syd, you're going to have to tell Walker. I don't think he'll be upset. I'll work with Trivette, and you can do a lot of the computer work he did. You'll be a big help to us just with that alone. And you have your forensics skills. You'll be more of a help to us from the office than what you think. The important thing is that you follow the doctor's orders and keep this little peanut safe and healthy." Gage covered Sydney's hand on her stomach with his.

Sydney gave him a slight smile. Maybe Gage was right. There was a lot she could do from the office that could help them out. She was just going to miss working with Gage every day. She had a feeling that those days were long gone now. Normally that would have bothered her to no end, but she felt hopeful instead. There was something so much better ahead.

"Let's just enjoy every second of this, Syd," Gage said, "these next few months waiting for our little one to get here. What do you say?" He leaned over and kissed her gently, stroking the back of his hand across her cheek.

"You're right," Sydney said, feeling better about things. She reached up and took his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm. "There's nobody in the world I'd rather do this with, Francis Gage." Suddenly, she pushed him away and opened the car door, shrugging off the seat belt at the same time as a wave of nausea hit, causing her to throw up. Gage leaned over and pulled her hair away from her face, saying silent thanks that he didn't have a weak stomach because he had a feeling it was going to be a long seven months ahead.

 _At any rate, it's going to be an adventure._

* * *

Later that night as Sydney slept in Gage's arms, Gage lay awake and thought about a lot of things. Of all the things he wanted in life, marrying Sydney and having a family with her were at the very top of the list. Now he was going to be a father. So they did things a little backwards. That was easy enough to fix. All he had to do was marry Sydney and he'd have everything he ever dreamed of.

As carefully and as quietly as he could so he didn't wake Sydney, Gage opened the nightstand drawer with one hand and felt around until he found a small velvet box. He snapped it open to reveal an antique diamond solitaire on a silver band. Even in the moonlit room, the ring sparkled. It had been his mother's ring and he had kept it all these years, waiting for just the right person to give it to. The right person, he thought, was sound asleep with her head nestled under his shoulder. As Sydney slept, he slipped the ring onto her left hand. He couldn't wait to see her face when she woke up and realized it was there.

When Sydney woke the next morning and brushed the hair from her face, she felt her hair catch on something on her hand. She pulled her hand away and saw the diamond ring on her finger. She stared at it for a few moments trying to figure out where it came from. It wasn't her ring, she didn't own anything like it. Sydney untangled herself from Gage's arms and sat up, staring at the ring, twisting it around her finger and turning her hand from side to side, watching as the diamond shot tiny rainbows here and there around the room in the early morning sunlight.

"That fits you perfectly," Gage said quietly, his voice still husky with sleep.

"Where did it come from?" Sydney asked, confused.

"It was my mom's. I've been saving that ring for just the right person and just the right time. I think I found them both," Gage said, sitting up and wrapping his arms around Sydney's waist and kissing the back of her neck. "Let's get married, Syd. I've been thinking about it. We can go somewhere for a long weekend and find a justice of the peace, unless you have your heart set on a big church wedding. Whatever you want, that's what we'll do. But I don't want to wait." Gage cupped Sydney's face in his hand and turned her head toward him. "Marry me, baby," he whispered.

Sydney threw her arms around Gage's neck and kissed him. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" she asked.

"Not nearly as much as I love you," Gage answered. "So that's a yes?"

"Absolutely."

"So, what do you want to do?"

"Gage, with moving into the house and getting ready for the baby, I can't imagine planning a big wedding. Erika and Jimmy eloped. I think that's what we should do, too. We'll just go away for a weekend and come back married. I like that idea."

* * *

"So, are you going to find out if it's a boy or a girl?" Alex asked.

"No," Sydney replied adamantly. "And I already warned Gage, he's not to do what Walker did and go sneaking around trying to find out, either. We both find out the day this kid pops out."

Alex laughed. "Good luck with that! What about names? Walker and I almost landed in divorce court over names. We couldn't agree on anything!"

"We're pretty much in agreement on names," Sydney answered. "Except for Elvis. If anything happens to me that I am incapacitated and can't have a say in what to name this baby, Alex, please do not let that man name this baby Elvis."

"I'm sure he's just teasing you, Syd."

Sydney looked at her best friend with a raised eyebrow.

"He is teasing, right?" Alex asked again. "Wait, you mean he's serious?"

Sydney nodded. "Absolutely serious."

"Oh dear God," Alex shook her head. "I promise you, Syd, I won't let him do it."

Sydney had just had her first ultrasound and everything looked fine with the baby. Just two weeks before, she and Gage had surprised their friends by taking a long weekend away to the beach and coming home as Mr. and Mrs. They were just settling in to Sydney's house, now their house, and things couldn't be more perfect.

Trivette knocked on Alex's door. "Sorry to interrupt, Syd, we have Nicky Vega downstairs. Do you have the ballistics report from that home invasion last week?"

"Just got everything back this afternoon. I'll go get them for you."

Nicky Vega was a known gang leader and drug dealer suspected of leading a brutal home invasion that ended up with both of the occupants shot dead. Gage and Trivette had tracked him down and brought him in for questioning. Gage was trying to get a confession out of him.

Sydney knocked on the interrogation room door and then walked in and handed Gage the file containing the ballistics report. Gage looked it over and dropped the file on the table.

"Nicky, do you want to explain how your gun with your prints all over it showed up at the crime scene?" he asked.

"Hey, just 'cause my gun was there don't mean I killed those people. You can't prove that," Nicky argued.

"Actually, yes, we can," Sydney countered. She flipped open the file and pointed to the report inside. "Bullets that were test fired from your gun match bullets that were removed from the victims. Your gun didn't fire itself. All the evidence here points to you being the shooter, Nicky." Sydney patted her hand on the ballistics report for emphasis as she spoke.

Suddenly Sydney gasped in pain. She looked down at her hand and saw a tiny bead of blood swelling in the soft flesh between her thumb and forefinger. On the table next to her hand lay a hypodermic needle.

"Oh my God," Sydney whispered, staring at her hand and the needle in disbelief. "Where did that come from?"

No, no, no, Sydney thought. This can't be happening. They just told me everything looked fine with the baby. I just heard his heartbeat and saw him on the ultrasound. Everything was okay. This can't have just happened. She watched as the bead of blood on her hand formed a tiny river that ran across the back of her hand and onto the table. "Gage?" Sydney called out, feeling her head start to swim. "Bring an evidence bag and call the doctor."


	13. Chapter 13

Gage and Sydney waited in a small, partitioned-off room in St. Mathew's Hospital's emergency room for the doctor to come in to see them. A near constant stream of nurses and medical technicians had been in, checking Sydney's blood pressure, doing bloodwork, checking the numbers on the fetal monitor that was recording the baby's heartbeat. The computer screen above Sydney's bed was constantly beeping, recording vital numbers that were changing constantly.

Sydney clutched Gage's hand. "Gage, I'm so scared," she whimpered, brushing tears from her cheeks with the heel of her free hand.

"I know, baby. Just keep thinking that everything is going to be okay." Gage tried to sound positive, but he, too, was just as afraid.

An older woman with short, graying hair and a white lab coat pushed the curtain open and stepped inside the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Gage, I'm Dr. Claire Maxwell," she extended her hand to Gage and took a look at the monitor that showed Sydney's vitals and the baby's heart rate. She nodded and then turned back to Gage and Sydney and continued speaking.

"The good news is that your bloodwork came back clean. It doesn't appear there were any drugs in that syringe. The person that had the syringe has cooperated with completing the necessary paperwork, however, he's indicated that he is high-risk in all categories. I am sorry to say that he has refused consent for bloodwork."

"So, what does that mean?" Sydney asked, trying to process everything the doctor was saying.

"His responses on the paperwork indicate that he is high-risk for HIV and hepatitis, both of which could have been transmitted to you and your baby, Mrs. Gage. And without the bloodwork, we have no way of knowing if he is HIV or hepatitis positive."

"What do we do now?" Gage asked, fearing for the worst. What the doctor said did not give him a good feeling about things.

 _Praying – and praying hard - is always a good place to start._

"In the case of a needle-stick injury, we recommend a PEP – post-exposure prophylaxis – protocol. It's a series of antiretroviral drugs taken for a month to avoid infection. You'll need to start it within 72 hours of exposure, but sooner is definitely better and highly recommended."

"Can I do that? I'm sixteen weeks pregnant." Sydney questioned.

"Well, that certainly does complicate things, especially with your history," Dr. Maxwell replied. "Without the PEP protocol, you definitely run the risk of contracting either HIV or hepatitis and passing the infection on to your baby. PEP is not without side effects. You could have nausea, vomiting, severe headaches –"

"Great," Sydney huffed. "Morning sickness all over again." She had just gotten over feeling sick and throwing up all the time and was starting to remember that eating was actually enjoyable. "What about the baby? Are these drugs safe for the baby?" she asked worriedly.

Dr. Maxwell frowned. "Unfortunately, there are very few conclusive studies that show how the antiretroviral medications affect an unborn baby. We have to assume that any medication has risk, but we need to weigh the risks of taking the medications against not taking them. It would be so much better if the subject in this situation would consent to having bloodwork done. We'd be able to get a simple yes or no answer and you may only need to take a dose or two of the medication while we wait for the test results to come back."

Sydney and Gage looked at each other, each of their expressions mirroring the fear the other felt. There were no easy answers.

"I'll leave you both to discuss this and decide what you want to do. Just press the call button for the nurse and let her know your answer. I don't want to rush your decision, Mr. and Mrs. Gage, but this is definitely a case where sooner is much, much better than later," Dr. Maxwell left the room, closing the curtain behind her.

She was barely out of the room before Sydney burst into tears. Gage moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside her and pulled her to him, holding her head against his shoulder and letting her cry.

"I don't know what to do," Sydney wailed. "No matter what I do, I'm doing something that hurts the baby. All this time I've been so afraid of losing the baby. I never thought I was going to have to worry about something like this." Sydney collapsed in uncontrollable sobs in Gage's arms. "What do we do?" she asked him, "Tell me what I should do, Gage."

Gage stroked Sydney's dark hair and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Baby, I wish I knew." Gage placed his hand protectively over the slight swell of Sydney's pregnant belly. "I wish I knew what to do," he whispered into her hair. Gage was completely torn. He wanted to do the best thing for Sydney and for the baby, but never in his life had he been faced with such a difficult decision.

Gage got up and looked out into the hallway from Sydney's room. Walker stood outside of another room just down the hall. Nicky Vega was still there. "Syd, I'll be right back," Gage said, slipping out of the room and closing the curtain behind him.

 _Whatever you're planning on doing, you know I don't have to tell you it isn't a good idea._

Gage stopped outside of the room where Walker was standing. "Vega in there?" he asked, reaching for the curtain.

"Gage, what are you doing?" Walker questioned.

"I need to talk to him," Gage replied. "He needs to consent to having bloodwork done."

"Gage, we can't make him consent. It's his decision."

"Yeah, and because of his decision, Syd and I have to make the toughest decision of our lives right now. We don't know if he has HIV or hepatitis. The only way to know is if he consents to the bloodwork. If he doesn't have it done, Syd and I have to decide whether she takes drugs that will prevent her and the baby from getting infected. But the drugs could hurt the baby and she's already at high-risk. So what do we do? Take the drugs and pray they don't hurt the baby or don't take them and pray Syd and the baby don't end up infected? Vega's going to consent, Walker. One way or the other, I'm getting blood out of him." Gage reached for the curtain again.

"Gage, you can't do that," Walker stepped between Gage and the curtain.

"Suspend me or fire me, Walker. I don't care. Syd and that baby mean more to me than anything else in the world. I'm not going to let anything happen to either one of them. If it were Alex and Angela, what would you do? Think about that, Walker, then maybe you'll understand how I feel."

Walker thought back to those scary days when Alex had been exposed to the Ebola virus and how afraid he and Alex both were, both for her and for baby Angela, who she was expecting at the time. He understood exactly how Gage felt.

"I'll talk to Vega, Gage. I'll see what I can do. Tell Sydney I'm praying for her and the baby."

* * *

Gage watched the numbers on the monitor over Sydney's bed as they tracked Sydney's heart rate and blood pressure and the baby's heart rate. Sydney had fallen asleep, exhausted from agonizing over the decision they needed to make. She didn't want to take any drugs that would hurt the baby. Gage didn't want her or the baby to face a future that might include an HIV or hepatitis infection and all the associated health risks and issues. Gage decided to let her sleep for a little bit, thinking that some rest might help her think more clearly. At the very least, it would help to calm her down. She had been crying nearly hysterically and Gage was starting to get scared for her and the baby.

Dr. Maxwell opened the curtain just enough to slip into the room. "I have some good news," she said, smiling. "We got consent for bloodwork."

Gage offered up a silent thanks to Walker and whatever reason or magic or force he used to get Vega to consent. "Great! How long until we get the results?"

"I'll put a rush on them," Dr. Maxwell replied. "Hopefully we'll get them back within the seventy-two hour window. If not, we may have to do one or two doses of the PEP treatment, but that would be far less risky than a whole month's worth. Meanwhile, I think it would be best to have your wife moved to a room overnight. That way if you decide to go with the PEP protocol we can get it started as soon as possible. I really would like to keep an eye on her given her history, too. She's been under a lot of stress today and her blood pressure is a bit higher than I'd like it to be. I'll put in an order for a room for her." Dr. Maxwell made a few notes on Sydney's chart and left the room.

Sydney woke up as a nurse was preparing to move her to a room upstairs. "What's happening?" she asked Gage. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

"Nothing's wrong. Vega gave his consent for bloodwork. We're just waiting for results. The doctor wants to keep you overnight until she gets the results back. Your blood pressure was a little too high, but everything is okay." Gage squeezed Sydney's hand and leaned down to kiss her as the nurse began to push the bed out of the room. "I'll see you upstairs once they get you settled in, Shorty."

* * *

Gage had fallen asleep in the chair next to Sydney's bed. Sydney watched him sleep, reaching over to brush her fingers through his blond hair. Dear God, how she loved that man and couldn't imagine her life without him.

Gage stirred in his sleep and slowly blinked his eyes open. "Everything okay, baby?" he whispered.

"Everything's fine. I just couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind," Sydney replied.

"You should try to sleep. I'm sure the little one's tired." Gage rubbed his hand over Sydney's stomach.

"Gage, what if Vega's test results come back positive? What do we do? I can't willingly subject the baby to a whole month of drugs not knowing what they could do, and I know what we're facing if I don't take them. But this will affect you, too, so I want to know what you think." Sydney's voice was tinged with sadness and fear.

"If you don't want to take the drugs, then I will support your decision. If you or the baby get sick, we will find the best doctors in the country to get you both well again. If you're worried about me getting infected, there are ways we can work around that. Whatever happens, Syd, we'll get through it. I love you, Syd, and I promise I'll be right here beside you every step of the way." Gage leaned in toward Sydney, sealing his oath with a long kiss.

"You know, that chair looked awfully uncomfortable," Sydney mused. "There's plenty of room up here." Sydney slid to one side of the bed, patting the mattress beside her. "See? Plenty of room." In the semi-darkness of the hospital room, Sydney could see Gage smile. He kicked his shoes off and lay down on the bed next to her, tucking an arm around her and pulling her close. Before long, they were both asleep, both exhausted after the day's emotionally-draining events.

When the night and day shift nurses came around at shift change in the morning, they found the couple still sound asleep, firmly entwined in each other's arms. "I've never seen anything so sweet," the day shift nurse gushed. She was only a year out of nursing school and still new to the job.

"Shhh," the older night shift nurse warned, holding a finger to her lips. "Let's not wake them." She hoped that the young nurse would remember this picture on the rough days she'd have ahead of her.

* * *

It was almost noon when Dr. Maxwell came in. "I have wonderful news for you," she said, beaming. "I just got the test results back and the person that stuck you with the hypodermic needle is both HIV and hepatitis negative."

"Negative? Oh, my goodness," Sydney felt tears of relief building like a tidal wave. She reached for Gage to embrace him. "So that means…"

"That means you don't have to worry about taking any of the antiretroviral meds and that you and your baby are safe," the doctor explained, happy to be able to give good news.

"That is wonderful," Gage said, wiping tears from his own eyes. "Thank you so much, doctor."

"As soon as I get a look at your last blood pressure reading, Mrs. Gage, we'll talk about sending you home. I can't think of any reason to keep you here any longer. I think you'll be happy to get home and put all this behind you." Dr. Maxwell left the room.

Gage sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Sydney into a long, deep kiss. "I told you everything would be okay," he teased.

"Then why were you so afraid?" Sydney teased back, snaking her arms around Gage's neck and curling her fingers in his hair.

"I can't wait to get you home," Gage whispered in Sydney's ear. "I think we have some celebrating to do."

* * *

"I can tell you if it's a boy or a girl," the cheerful ultrasound technician told Sydney and Gage as she looked at the computer screen in front of her.

"No," Sydney replied. "We want to be surprised."

"Are you sure, Syd? Maybe we should find out." Gage interjected.

"I thought we agreed on being surprised."

"We did, but I just don't know if I can wait that long, Syd."

The technician laughed. "You know, I hear this a lot. I can write down whether it's a boy or a girl and seal it in an envelope and you can take it with you. If you decide you want to know, you can open the envelope and find out."

The technician handed Gage the envelope as he and Sydney were leaving the room. "I'll take that," Sydney said, grabbing the envelope before Gage could take it. "He'll have it open before we're out of the office," she explained to the technician.

Two weeks later, Sydney felt the baby kick for the first time. She had felt tiny little flutters before, but nothing like this. This was unmistakable. She was standing in the bathroom brushing her hair when she felt it.

"Gage! Gage, come quick!" Sydney cried.

Gage ran up the stairs expecting to find something wrong. Instead, he found Sydney waiting at the top of the steps with a huge smile on her face. She grabbed his hands and placed them on her expanding stomach. Within seconds, he felt it, too.

"Oh, my God, Syd! That is amazing!" Gage's face registered both surprise and amazement at feeling the movement of their child in Sydney's rounded belly. He bent to kiss Sydney and realized she was crying.

"Syd, what's wrong? This is supposed to be a happy moment," he asked, completely confused by her tears.

"I am blissfully happy, and obviously totally hormonal," Sydney laughed through her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I never thought I'd know what this moment would be like, and it's so wonderful." Sydney sniffled and wiped her eyes again. "And the best part about it is that I get to share it with you." She stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around Gage's neck and kiss him.

"You know what I think?" Gage asked her, picking his wife up in his arms and carrying her down the hall to their bedroom, "I think we need to celebrate."

* * *

In December, Alex and Erika threw a baby shower for Sydney. Gage decided that would be the perfect day to paint the spare bedroom that he and Sydney had decided to turn into the baby's nursery, and he enlisted Walker and Trivette to help him. He had more than just painting planned, though. His Christmas gift to Sydney was to have the room all painted, furnished and decorated, and he wanted it done the same weekend as the baby shower. His only problem was how to keep Sydney out of the house for the entire weekend to get everything done. For that, he enlisted Alex and Erika's help.

Sydney sat on the couch in Alex and Walker's living room surrounded by friends and piles of gifts wrapped in pastel paper. As she opened up tiny outfits and nursery decorations, Erika kept careful notes of what she received and who the gift-giver was and then sorted each gift into careful piles. She was in charge of delivering all the gifts to Sydney's house so she could help Gage organize and decorate the nursery. Every little sleeper and t-shirt Sydney opened was met with a chorus of oooh's and aaaah's over how cute and how tiny everything was.

"Erika, if she opens up one more adorable little outfit, I think my ovaries are going to pop!" Alex joked. "I think I need to have another baby!"

"I have two you can borrow. One sleepless night with Jamie and Jade and you may change your mind. Besides, do you really want to go back to the land of maternity clothes and swollen ankles and a constant aching back?" Erika teased, "Not to mention constantly having to go to the bathroom!"

"Well, if I could do it and look as wonderful as Sydney does, I would. She is absolutely glowing! But you're right. I don't miss the backaches and swollen ankles and non-stop bathroom trips one bit."

Just as the party was wrapping up, Sydney's cell phone rang. She saw it was Gage and answered it excitedly, "Hi, honey! You should see all the cute baby stuff we got! So many sweet little outfits and a million diapers!"

"And those diapers won't even last her the first month, sad to say!" Erika cracked to Alex as Alex nodded knowingly in reply.

 _"_ _Baby, would you mind staying overnight at Alex and Walker's tonight? I'll bring you a change of clothes."_

"Why, Gage? What's going on?"

 _"_ _We had a bit of a problem over here, and we're not done painting."_

"How big of a problem, Gage?"

 _"_ _Well, let's just say that on a scale of one to blowing up tuxedos before a wedding, this one makes the tuxes look like not so big of a deal."_

"What… did… you… do?" Sydney asked her husband through clenched teeth.

 _"_ _It's all under control, Syd. Once Walker gets back here with the floor sander, some stain and some varnish, it'll be taken care of in no time. That's what Erika's dad said."_

"A floor sander? Gage, you are aware that your wife is pregnant and ridiculously hormonal, right? And that telling her things like 'floor sander,' 'stain,' and 'varnish' all in the same sentence is probably not a good thing?"

 _"_ _We just had an accident with a gallon of paint. It spilled all over the floor. Fred told us we could sand it off, re-stain and re-varnish the floor and it would look like new. He's pretty handy, so it won't take long at all. So, can you stay with Alex tonight?"_

"I guess I don't have a choice."

 _"_ _That's my girl. I love you, baby."_

Behind Sydney, Alex and Erika exchanged smiles and tried to contain their laughter. They both knew the second Sydney got off the phone, she was going to explode.

And she did.

"I can't believe this!" she cried, her voice going up at least two octaves.

"What's wrong, Syd?" Alex asked.

"What's wrong is I'm pregnant and can't drink. Because right now I need to." Sydney huffed, stomping to the couch and dropping onto it.

"I promise, I'll bring you a bottle of wine after you have the baby," Alex teased. "What was that all about?"

"They are sanding and re-staining the damn nursery floor!"

"Oh, my goodness!" Alex feigned surprise. "What on earth for?"

"One of those clowns spilled paint on my beautiful hardwood nursery floor. Probably my husband. And your husband," she looked at Alex "is off to find a floor sander because your dad," she looked at Erika "is also involved in that three-ring circus and told them it would be a really easy fix."

"My dad is really good at fixing things, Syd. So maybe he's going to help them fix it," Erika offered helpfully.

"I sure hope so, Erika, because I do not have a good feeling about this. I really should get home and see what is going on over there." Sydney stood up and started gathering things and looking for her keys.

"Syd, you can't go over there! The paint fumes would be just awful, and if they started working on the floor, you'll just get sick and it's not good for the baby," Alex fussed.

Sydney let out a long, frustrated sigh. "I guess you're right."

"I want to stop by and see my husband," Erika said, "since it sounds like I won't be seeing him at all tonight. I'm going to drop all of this off for you, too." She motioned at the stacks of baby gifts. "I'll take a look around and call you and tell you how bad things are."

"You'll be honest, right?" Sydney asked, although she knew she could trust Erika to be absolutely truthful with her.

"One hundred percent, girlfriend," Erika replied with a smile and started carrying armfuls of baby gear out to her SUV.

Moments later, they heard the roar of Gage's Chevelle coming up the lane. Sydney was waiting on the porch to meet him when he stepped out of the car.

When Gage closed the Chevelle's driver's side door, Sydney let out an audible gasp. Gage was covered in pale yellow paint. It had thoroughly covered his jeans and had splattered across the worn gray sweatshirt with the cutoff sleeves he was wearing so that even his arms were splashed with paint. He carried a small duffel bag that had Sydney's change of clothes.

"Would you look at yourself?" Sydney asked, her voice echoing shock and disbelief at what she saw. "What did you do, roll around in that paint?"

"I was on the ladder and –" Gage began sheepishly.

"I don't want to know." Sydney held her hand up to stop him. With the other hand, she reached out and took the duffel bag away from him.

"You aren't mad, are you, baby?" Gage asked. "It was an accident. A really big accident, but it was an accident."

Sydney blew her hair out of her eyes and sighed loudly. "On a scale of one to my wanting to take you bear hunting at Lake Ebby right now? Let's just say I sure wish I had a vat of honey and some rope."

Alex and Erika exchanged pained glances. "I sure hope we didn't go too far," Alex whispered.

"Don't worry, she's just hormonal. Ask her about the baby and she'll get all sobby and won't even remember being pissed at Gage fifteen minutes from now," Erika whispered back, trying to suppress a laugh.

Before Gage left, he had Sydney laughing. She had to admit, even covered in paint splatters, he was still amazingly sexy. "I'm going to miss you tonight," he whispered as he kissed her goodbye.

"I'll miss you too, Gage, I guess you'll just have to make up for it and the mess you made of my floor tomorrow night."

"Oh, don't worry, Syd. I definitely intend to." Gage planted one more hot kiss on her lips and winked as he got in the car.

* * *

The next day Gage picked her up at Walker's and took her home. Sydney insisted on seeing the floor in the nursery even though Gage said Walker and Erika's dad had done such a good job refinishing it that nobody could ever tell the difference. Sydney went upstairs to find a huge bow tied over the nursery door. She pushed the door open and was surprised at what she saw. The room had been painted a pale yellow and trimmed with white crown molding. A pine crib sat along one wall; a changing table along the other, with a dresser in the corner and a rocking chair beside the window. All of the room was decorated with the Noah's ark theme that Sydney had chosen for her baby registry, and all the gifts from the shower had been neatly put away, thanks to Erika.

"Merry Christmas, Syd," Gage said. "Do you like it?"

Sydney stood in the middle of the room and turned around slowly, taking everything in.

"Oh, my goodness. The lamp!" she exclaimed. "And the mobile with all the little animals!" She gave it a tap and it started to spin and play a lullaby.

"And the nightlight! That's so sweet!" She lowered herself into the rocking chair and began to rock back and forth. "This is so comfortable! Gage! You did all this? And the floor? Where did you refinish the floor?"

"Well, we didn't actually refinish the floor. There was no paint accident, Syd."

"What? But I saw you. You were a mess!"

"I sacrificed a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt to make it look authentic. I needed an extra day to get the room put together, even with Walker and Jimmy and Erika's dad helping me. So we came up with the paint accident story to keep you out of the house for the night. That was Walker's idea, actually. We worked all night. Erika's dad was a huge help. He put all the furniture together. I guess after he put up two of everything for Erika and Jimmy's babies, he's pretty much an expert on building baby furniture."

"You are so rotten, Francis Gage! But it's perfect! Everything is perfect. I love it and I love you!" Sydney hugged him tight, pressing her cheek against his chest as the tears began to well up in her eyes.

 _I think you did good, son._

"So, tell me, "Gage tilted her head up to face him. "Are you still so mad at me that you want to take me bear hunting with honey and a rope?"

"I think I could find some other uses for that honey and rope," Sydney said, an ornery grin crossing her face as she took him by the hand and led him down the hall.

* * *

Christmas for the Gages was sweet and quiet and romantic. They renewed their old tradition of decorating a tree together and spending Christmas Eve cuddling on the couch watching Christmas movies. They spent Christmas day with Alex, Walker, Jimmy, and Erika, celebrating the twins' first Christmas. Sydney realized that in one year, she and Gage would be celebrating their baby's first Christmas. The thought made her happy and nostalgic. She'd miss all the Christmases she and Gage had spent together, just the two of them, but she was so excited to see Christmas through her own baby's eyes.

New Year's Eve was quiet as well. Sydney and Gage ordered takeout from their favorite Chinese restaurant and had plans to watch the celebration in Times Square on television. Gage had to wake Sydney just before midnight so she could see the ball drop. After sharing a new year's kiss, they snuggled on the couch under a blanket in the glow of the Christmas tree lights.

"Just think, baby, this time next year, we'll have a little one sleeping upstairs." Gage said, running his fingers through Sydney's raven hair.

"You hope that little one will be sleeping. My luck this baby will take after you and will cause me grief on a daily basis." Sydney joked sleepily.

"Oh, come on, now. A little mini-me wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

Sydney lifted her head to kiss Gage on the jaw. "No. Not at all." She was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again. "Did I ever tell you that I consider myself very blessed? I have everything I ever wanted in life. A job I love, a cozy little house. I'm married to the man I fell in love with the first time I saw him, and in just a couple of months, our baby will be here. There's nothing else in this world I need or want. I'm blessed." Sydney sniffled a little and tears shined in her dark eyes.

This time it was Gage's turn to get all teary-eyed. "Oh, Syd," he hugged her tight and kissed her hair. "There's nothing else in my life I could ever want any more than this, either."

* * *

The next several weeks flew by quickly. At every doctor's appointment, Sydney got good news: the baby was doing fine and everything was looking good. Finally, she felt like she could breathe a sigh of relief as the almost-constant worries she had about losing the baby seemed farther and farther from her mind.

Alex stopped to visit her one afternoon in mid-February. The doctor had recommended Sydney go on leave from work, and Alex wanted to see how she was doing. They were sitting in the kitchen and Sydney got up to get something for them to drink. When she stood up, she paused a moment.

"Wow, that feels a little weird," Sydney said.

"What does?" Alex asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think my water just broke."

Gage and Trivette were just wrapping up at the scene of a bank robbery in downtown Dallas. They cuffed the last of the suspects and helped the Dallas police load them into squad cars to take them in for booking; the forensics team had arrived and took over analyzing the crime scene, and Gage and Trivette were headed back to headquarters to fill out paperwork.

"What a bunch of idiots those guys were. Not even wearing masks." Gage chuckled.

"That was a pretty poorly planned operation," Trivette agreed. His cell phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket to answer it.

"Okay, we're on our way," Jimmy said abruptly and cancelled the call.

"Who was that?" Gage asked.

"Gage, where is your cell phone?" Trivette asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"What? I have my phone. It's right here, see?" Gage pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it up to reveal a shattered screen. It had gotten broken during the struggle with one of the bank robbery suspects. "Oh, shit! And this was a new phone, too," he complained.

"Your wife has been trying to call you, Gage," Trivette said as he made a u-turn in the middle of the street, flipping on the flashing lights and siren and hitting the gas.

 _Uh-oh. Sounds like you just landed in the doghouse._

"Alex is taking her to St. Mathew's Hospital. Syd just went into labor."

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTE: So what do you think? Will they have a boy or a girl? Thank you all for coming along - and staying - for this wild ride and for all your kind words and great reviews! I think there's one more chapter to this story. When I first started writing this story, it was just intended to be a short, 5-6 chapter story dealing with the aftermath of a breakup and how our favorite ranger couple dealt with it. I don't think things could have gotten any further away from the original story, but I kinda like the path this story took and how it's ending up. I hope you all do, too! Thank you all for reading!**_


	14. Chapter 14

"Syd can't be in labor," Gage protested. "Her due date isn't for at least another two weeks."

 _You aren't ready for this, are you? Newsflash, son, nobody is ever really ready. Becoming a father isn't like a test you can study for._

"Try telling that to the baby." Trivette answered, navigating through the downtown Dallas streets as fast as he could. Thank God for sirens and lights, he thought as the traffic in front of him parted and let them pass.

"You know, Gage, I can already tell this baby is going to take after Syd." Trivette sped through an intersection and swerved around a car.

"You want to take it easy there, Richard Petty? I'd like to get to the hospital in one piece. And how can you tell?" Gage asked

"Well, if the baby was going to take after you, it would be two weeks late!" Trivette quipped, laughing out loud at his own joke.

"Oh, you're funny, Trivette. Real funny. If you're not trying to kill me, you're making jokes at my expense." Gage shook his head. "Oh, I almost forgot. I needed to pick up Sydney's Valentine's Day gift. If I give you the receipt, would you stop at Diamond Jewelers and pick it up for me? I'm going to need to have a new birthstone put in it for the baby, because I thought we were looking at a March birthday, but I'll deal with that later. I just can't not have a gift for her; after all, I'm getting a son or a daughter." Gage pulled his wallet out of his pocket and poked around until he found a yellow slip of paper.

Trivette pulled up to the front doors of St. Mathew's Hospital. "Yeah, man. I'll go pick it up for you. While I'm at it, give me your phone. I'll see if I can get the screen fixed on it. You're going to want it fixed so you can take pictures and call your sister."

"Oh, crap! I need to call Julie! I hope Syd has her phone. Julie will kill me if I don't call her! Hey, thanks, Trivette. I'll keep everyone posted on how things are going." Gage jumped out of the car and ran inside the hospital, stopping at the front desk to find out what room Sydney was in.

* * *

"About time you got here," Sydney teased when Gage walked into the room. "I thought I might have to do this all by myself."

"Sorry about that, baby. I got here as quick as I could. I think Trivette committed about a half-dozen traffic violations to get me here," Gage crossed the room and hugged his wife and gave her a long kiss.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, holding his hands on her very pregnant stomach.

"Oh, I've felt lots better, but from what I understand, I'm feeling better now that what I will be, "Sydney replied, taking Gage's hands in hers and looking into his ocean-blue eyes. "This is it, Gage. In just a little while, our little one will be here. I'm so excited and so nervous –" Sydney howled in pain as a contraction hit. Gage's eyes went wide with surprise and concern.

"Syd, what was that?"

"Welcome to labor, Gage. That was a contraction," Alex walked into the room with a Styrofoam cup of ice chips. "Syd, they gave me some ice for you." Alex checked her watch. "Looks like you're still at every five minutes. The nurse said the doctor would be in shortly to see how you're doing."

"Can't they give you something for that?" Gage looked terrified. He tried to remember what they were told in childbirth classes but his mind had gone blank. He remembered something about breathing but that was about it, and he wasn't sure when that was supposed to happen. He was pretty sure Sydney would remind him if he needed to do something.

"They can," Alex said, "but not yet, because it might slow down her labor and they don't want that. In a little while she can have an epidural if she wants one, but the nurse said it's too soon right now."

"Ooooh, I definitely want one," Syd gave a sigh of relief as the wave of contractions finally let up and allowed her to relax. "These things are brutal."

"Syd, since Gage is here, I'm going to go pick Angela up from daycare. I'll see you soon. Gage, call if you need anything. Walker and I will be right here." Alex hugged her friend. "Good luck, Syd! I can't wait to meet that little bundle of joy!"

Gage followed Alex out of the room. "Alex, what am I supposed to do? I forgot everything they told us in baby class!"

Alex laughed. "Gage, you're just nervous. You'll do fine. Just keep track of how far apart her contractions are, remind her to breathe, give her ice chips, and tell her how much you love her. In a little while, you'll be holding your son or daughter. Piece of cake!" Alex patted him on the arm. "I'll see you soon." Alex disappeared down the hall, her blond curls bouncing and her heels tapping on the white linoleum floor in perfect rhythm.

"Right. Piece of cake," Gage muttered. "She's not the one having the baby."

* * *

"Alright, Sydney, you're doing great. Just one more big push when I tell you, okay?" the doctor looked up at her. "You're almost there."

"I can't do this," Sydney whimpered, her voice weak. "I am so tired." Nineteen hours of labor had begun to take its toll and Sydney was worn out.

"You got this Syd," Gage squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead. "Just a little bit more. You can do this, baby."

"Sydney, one big push. Right…. Now!"

Sydney cried out, and her cries were joined by the wailing of the tiny newborn the doctor held in his hands.

"Congratulations! You have a boy!"

Tears ran down Sydney's face. "Gage, a boy! Listen to him! That's the most beautiful sound I ever heard!" Sydney's words came in breathless gasps. A nurse wrapped the baby in a warm blanket and set him on Sydney's stomach. Sydney immediately reached for him, caressing his tiny head.

"He's so tiny and so perfect, Syd." Gage's voice was barely a whisper. He bent to kiss his wife and Sydney realized he was crying, too.

"Mr. Gage, would you like to cut the cord?" one of the nurses asked.

"Me?" Gage's eyes went wide with surprise.

The nurse nodded. Gage looked at Sydney, not sure what to do. She smiled at him. "Go ahead. I want you to."

Gage's hands were shaking as he cut the cord, thinking that he had just witnessed the most incredible gift God had ever bestowed on a man. He was so in awe of Sydney and what she had just done, and of the tiny baby that she now held in her arms.

 _It's a lot to wrap your head around, isn't it son? Amazing feeling to know that tiny little human is one-half you and one-half that beautiful woman. Never thought you could love somebody so much, could you?_

Somebody? Make that two somebodys, Gage thought, feeling overwhelmed as he looked at his wife and baby.

* * *

Later, in Sydney's hospital room, Gage held their baby while Sydney slept. He had counted and re-counted all ten fingers and toes and kissed the soft wisps of downy hair on the tiny boy's head. When the sleeping baby opened his eyes for a moment, Gage saw he had the brightest blue eyes. Gage marveled at how tiny the little baby was, only a little over six pounds. Gage could almost hold him in one hand.

"You can't put him down, can you?" Sydney asked sleepily, waking up to see her husband cradling the tiny blanket-wrapped bundle in his arms.

"It's the most incredible feeling, Syd, how much I love this little guy. I never knew being a father could feel like this."

Gage handed the sleeping baby to Sydney. "I know," she said. "It's so amazing. He's so sweet and so beautiful." Sydney looked up at her husband, "Happy Valentine's Day, Gage."

Gage answered her with a deep, passionate kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day, Syd. I love you more than words. That reminds me." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box and opened it up to reveal a gold necklace with three entwined hearts. Each heart had a birthstone mounted on it. "I'm going to have to have the baby's birthstone changed. I thought we were going to have a March baby."

"Gage, it's beautiful, and so thoughtful! I love it!"

"Well, it's not nearly as incredible a gift as a baby, but I'm not quite that capable," Gage smiled as he hooked the necklace around Sydney's neck and kissed her again.

Alex and Walker were Sydney and Gage's first visitors the next morning, soon followed by Jimmy and Erika. Sydney held the precious bundle in her arms so they could see the tiny, sleeping baby and introduced him to her friends.

"Gage and I have someone very special for you all to meet," Sydney beamed. "Everyone, this is Jonathan Francis Gage. Jonathan, this is your Aunt Alex and Uncle Walker and your Aunt Erika and Uncle Jimmy," Sydney cooed to the little baby boy in her arms, kissing him on the head.

"Oh, Sydney, he is so sweet and so precious!" Alex gushed. "Walker, I think we need to have another baby."

"You do?" Walker replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course. Look how cute he is," she took the tiny blue bundle from Sydney and held him so Walker could see his tiny face. "How can you resist? Besides, you don't want Angela to be an only child, do you?"

"We'll discuss this later," Walker grinned. "Congratulations, Sydney. Gage." Walker nodded to each of them. "Jonathan looks like he'll make a fine future ranger."

Erika hugged Sydney. "I'm so excited that our kids will all grow up together. I can just see them all being good friends, playing and going to school together. None of us really had big families, so I'm glad our kids will have each other."

"That's how it should be with family," Alex said. "We are all so blessed."

* * *

Sydney was amazed at how quickly she and Gage fell into their new routine as parents. It felt almost effortless. She loved watching Gage with Jonathan. He was such a wonderful father, not that she had any doubts that he would be. The moment he came home from work, he took over, feeding and bathing the baby so Sydney could get some rest or do things she needed to do. It was hard for her to rest, though. She was always trying to sneak a glimpse of Gage with Jonathan; maybe sitting in the recliner in the living room giving Jonathan a bottle while watching TV and explaining sports to him or sleeping on the couch holding the baby on his chest. Those little moments made Sydney's heart swell with so much love that she felt it could burst right out of her body. It was so hard for her to believe how much her life had changed in nearly one year's time. Almost one year ago, she had moved back to Dallas and was living in fear. Now, she was blissfully happy and completely head-over-heels in love with her life, her husband, and her baby boy.

Gage woke up to find Sydney wasn't in bed with him. He hadn't heard the baby cry and he usually did. Worried that something was wrong, he got up and went down the hall to the nursery to find Sydney standing at the baby's crib watching him sleep.

"Syd –"

"Shh." Sydney held a finger to her lips. She padded silently to the other side of the room. "Everything's okay. I was just watching him sleep. Sometimes I just can't believe he's actually here and ours and I just have to stand there and stare at him until I can truly understand it."

"I know. It feels almost surreal." Gage agreed.

"I've been thinking, Gage. I don't know that I want to go back to work. I keep thinking back to that huge fight we had and all I can think of was how selfish I was. I had no idea back then. Maybe you were right."

 _Wow. When they say a baby changes everything, they aren't kidding._

"Syd, you have almost two and a half months to decide what you want to do. You don't have to decide right this second."

"I know, but I just don't think I could leave Jonathan. I can't stand the idea of putting him in daycare. I waited so long for him and I just don't want to miss a single second of him growing up." Sydney glanced wistfully at the sleeping baby in the crib.

"Whatever you want to do, Syd, you know I'm going to support your decision. But why don't you wait it out just a bit before you decide? At least promise me you'll do that much?" Gage asked. He recalled how stir-crazy she had been sitting around his apartment with her concussion and broken ribs and he was afraid that she would regret quitting her job, but he wasn't about to say anything either way to influence her decision. This was her decision to make, not his.

 _So you really did learn something from that fight all those years ago. Maybe you don't need me around after all._

Gage cupped Sydney's face in his hands and kissed her softly. "Why don't we try to get some sleep before he wakes up and wants fed?" He led her out of the room and down the hall.

* * *

"Gage, will you stay out of that potato salad? I won't have any left to take to Alex and Walker's cookout!" Sydney fussed at her husband when she caught him sneaking yet another heaping spoonful out of the dish in the refrigerator.

"I have to make sure it's good, Syd. We can't take something to the cookout that isn't good." Gage planted a quick kiss on Sydney's lips as she walked past him. "And for the record, that is very good potato salad. Excellent, even. I should know. I'm an expert on these things."

Sydney just rolled her eyes and smiled. Nobody could ever accuse her husband of not having a healthy appetite. From the next room, three and a half month old Jonathan let out a loud cry. Speaking of healthy appetites, she thought. That child definitely took after his father where food was concerned.

"I'll get him," Gage said. "I'll bet he's hungry." Gage took a bottle out of the refrigerator and went to pick up his son.

"I'm going to finish getting ready," Sydney announced. "We're supposed to be at Walker's by twelve thirty, just so you know."

"Listen to her, Jonathan. She's always reminding me about the time. It's like she thinks your daddy is going to be late or something."

Sydney snorted a laugh on her way through the living room and back upstairs to finish getting dressed. "Jonathan, what your daddy doesn't tell you is that if it wasn't for your mommy, he would be late. For everything. All the time."

"I think that's it," Sydney finished loading the trunk of Gage's car with a stuffed diaper bag, a couple of extra blankets, a cooler with some prepared bottles, and a few toys for Jonathan.

"We're only going for the afternoon, Syd." Gage reminded her.

"I know, but it takes a lot of preparation to take a baby somewhere. Diapers, extra clothes, bottles, blankets. I feel like we're moving in!"

"No wonder Trivette bought Erika that SUV," Gage noted. "You can't have a baby and a normal-sized car."

"Oh, so does this mean you're trading the Chevelle?" Sydney asked innocently.

"Bite your tongue, woman! The car stays!" Gage pretended to be offended.

"Mmm, so I guess I get a new SUV?" Sydney teased.

"Your Jeep is just fine." Gage finished buckling Jonathan into his car seat and then darted around the front of the Chevelle to open Sydney's door. Before he did, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. "Unless you really want an SUV, and then I suppose we can go car shopping."

"The Jeep is fine," Sydney laughed. "I was just kidding. Besides, I'm not really the mom-mobile type."

* * *

Gage was quiet on the way to Alex and Walker's. He was thinking a lot about how much had changed in the past year. This time last year, he didn't even know Sydney was home. He was on his way to Walker's cookout thinking that Alex was going to try to fix him up with somebody. He remembered his shock at seeing Sydney when she stepped out on their front porch. He remembered trying to avoid her all day and the argument they had by the pasture, when Sydney had thrown a beer bottle at him. It had taken him a lot of Lone Star to get through that day, he recalled, and now, he couldn't remember the last time he even had a beer. Who would have ever guessed that one year later, he and Sydney would be married and parents to the little boy cooing and babbling to himself in the back seat of the Chevelle?

"You're awfully quiet, Gage. Everything okay?" Sydney asked.

"I'm fine. Just thinking. You know, this time last year, I was dreading going to this cookout because I knew Alex was going to try to fix me up with somebody. I had no idea you were going to step out onto that porch. You blew me away. "

"I was scared to death to see you that day," Sydney admitted. "And with the way things went, I guess I can understand why."

"You know, Syd, I remember every detail about driving to Walker's last year. What I wore, what songs were playing on the radio. What you were wearing when I saw you. It's like that day was going to be a really important day in my life. It was the day that everything changed. I had no idea then, but I totally get it now." Gage reached over and took Sydney's hand. "I'm glad we got past all that, baby. I wish it didn't take all that crap with Scott Weatherton to do it, but everything worked out the way it was supposed to." The way it should have worked out in the first place, Gage thought, but didn't say it.

Sydney just smiled and leaned her head back against the seat, letting the breeze through the window blow her hair. Yes, everything did work out the way it was supposed to.

* * *

The sun was starting to set over the green pastures on the Walker ranch and the ranger children were getting fussy. Jimmy and Erika's one-year old twins had run themselves ragged exploring and playing and had both found laps to fall asleep in. Angela was worn out from trying to keep up with them and keep them from getting into things they shouldn't get into. She sat on the porch swing next to her dad, her head on his shoulder and her eyes growing heavy with sleep. Baby Jonathan had been passed from one friend to the next and fussed over until he had enough and had fallen asleep while Gage was feeding him his bottle. Guests had begun to drift home, and Sydney and Erika began to pack up their babies to get them home to bed.

"This was the perfect day," Alex sighed as she helped Sydney fold up a blanket. "I love to see this ranch full of kids laughing and playing."

"It was definitely a beautiful day, Alex. Thank you and Walker for having us."

"I'm glad you decided to go back to work a couple days a week," Alex said. "You're so good at your job and it would have been a huge loss to the rangers if you quit working altogether."

"It was such a tough decision, Alex. I miss Jonathan so much when I'm at work, but when I'm at home, I miss all the excitement of the job. Even if I'm just staying in the office and doing all the computer work Jimmy did, it's still good to know I'm helping to solve cases. And Gage and Jimmy are a good team. I'm happy they're partners now." Everything works out for a reason, Sydney thought.

* * *

The sky was perfectly clear and full of stars illuminated by a nearly-full moon. Gage pulled the orange Chevelle off to the side of the dusty road so they could look at the stars. A warm, gentle breeze blew through the car's open windows and crickets chirped in chorus along with the radio's soundtrack.

Sydney leaned back over the seat to check on Jonathan. The baby boy was sound asleep, his long lashes curled onto his chubby cheeks; perfect cupid's-bow lips pursed as he dreamed sweet baby dreams.

"Remember when we would do this?" Gage asked "Just pull off on a back road somewhere and look at the stars or watch the deer in the fields?"

"Or make out like high school kids?" Sydney giggled.

"Or that." Gage pulled her onto his lap. "We can still do that, even though it's all good and legal now since I married you and made an honest woman out of you." He slid his hand under her shirt as he pulled her toward him to kiss her, tracing his tongue over her lips. Sydney responded by winding her fingers through Gage's hair and deepening the kiss.

From the back seat, Jonathan stirred and fussed, bringing Sydney and Gage both back to reality. Sydney found the baby's pacifier and popped it into his mouth, soothing him before his fussing could turn into all-out cries.

"Reality check," Sydney laughed.

"He's got some wonderful timing, doesn't he?" Gage sneaked in one more kiss before helping Sydney back over to the passenger seat. "Want to pick up where we left off at home?"

Sydney smiled and Gage started the Chevelle. "Thank you, Syd," he said appreciatively, reaching over to take her hand.

"What for?" Sydney was puzzled.

"For our son. For marrying me. For our wonderful life together."

Sydney blinked back the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. "I should be the one saying thank you, Gage. You took care of me after everything that happened with Scott and you didn't give up on me when it would have been so easy for you to walk away. You found our house. You made all my dreams come true when you married me and gave me that beautiful baby boy. I should be thanking you, Gage, not the other way around."

Gage pressed Sydney's hand to his lips. "I love you so much, baby."

"I love you so much, too, Gage."

Gage pointed the Chevelle toward home and toward the future he once thought he'd lost forever. Both he and Sydney were quiet, lost in thoughts that were very much the same: that the five years they'd spent apart were merely a detour, and that one year was all it took to lead their two broken roads back to each other. A wonderful, beautiful journey lay ahead of them and they both knew that, like any journey, the joy isn't in the final destination, but rather in getting there and in the traveling partner you choose along the way.


End file.
